


Five Dollars: Beginning

by Starwinder042653



Series: Five Dollars Series [1]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-04-07 18:30:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 29,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19090681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starwinder042653/pseuds/Starwinder042653
Summary: Vin and Ezra move from friends with benefits to lovers.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Once again the next chapter of Tequila Sunrise is fighting me every step of the way so I'm taking a break and posting an old story from my old site. This is the first part of The Five Dollars Series. There will be three chapters of this, followed by the other sections.

*************************************************

The town of River Bend approximately a day's ride from Four Corners

************************************************* 

Ezra Standish tossed his saddlebags on the bed of the hotel room he was sharing with Vin Tanner and shrugged out of his favorite red jacket. Hanging it on the valet he dug into his bags and produced a clothes brush and began to try and get some of the trail dust off of the fine woolen garment. 

Vin Tanner flopped down on the bed, dusty clothes and all, making Ezra wince. 

"Must you get the bed filthy, Mistah Tannah?" Ezra snapped crossly, brushing vigorously at the coat. "The least ya could do would be ta take off that dead animal you call a coat." 

Vin obligingly got up and took off the buffalo hide coat, tossing it over a chair before flopping back down on the bed. 

"Your boots, Mistah Tanner!" Ezra said with an exasperated sigh. 

"Going over ta the saloon in a minute. Ain't we?" 

"I'm not going anywhere until I've had a bath," the southern gentleman informed him. 

"Reckon I might as well mosey on over there then," Vin said, getting up and heading for the door. He turned back as he opened the door and smiled, "See ya." 

As he closed the door he could hear Ezra mutter, "It wouldn't kill you to take a bath, Mistah Tannah." 

Vin grinned to himself as he pulled the door closed. He had every intention of bathing, but he didn't tell Ezra that. There'd be plenty of time to get cleaned up while Ezra played poker. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the gambler would spend most of the night at the poker table. 

When Vin was gone, Ezra sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled his poker stake out of his vest pocket and stared down at it. 

_Six dollars._

____

__

He slid his hand into his pants pocket and pulled out the change that he had there and counted it. 

_And forty-three cents. >i/>_

__

__

_Great. Just great._

____

____

The fact that he was down to his last ten dollars had played a major role in the fact that he was now sharing a hotel room with Vin Tanner. _And since *I* paid for the livery for both our horses, (with an extra feeding of grain), both our suppers, (where Mister Tanner made a pig of himself... where does he put it? It's not like he ever gains weight!) ...and now this hotel room... I have exactly six dollars and forty-three cents left._

____

____

Well actually he wasn't down to his last, last ten dollars. 

He did have the century note coiled up in the empty chamber of his Remington... but that was getaway money and he would _not _gamble with _that _... and of course he had almost fifteen hundred dollars in the bank in Four Corners. Well not actually deposited in the bank. He'd asked Mr. Wilson, the new bank manager, to allow him to place his lock box in the bank's vault with the understanding that he could come and get it any time he wanted and that no one else had a key, not even the bank manager. Sort of like a safe deposit box that some of the larger banks in the larger cities had.____

_____ _

_____ _

_Just when did I decide that the bank in Four Corners was safe enough to put **my **money in it?****_

_****__** ** _

_****__** ** _

But this, six dollars and forty-three cents, was all he had left of his designated poker stake. He might be a gambler, but he was far from foolish with his money. He'd begun building his fortune, in Four Corners, with the first thirty-dollars he had been paid as a peacekeeper. When he had reached a hundred dollars he had begun to put everything over that into safekeeping. At first it had resided in his boot. Then he had started keeping it in a lock box under a loose floorboard in his room. Now he was putting it in the bank. If he lost the hundred, he did not dip into the money he had in the bank. He just bided his time until the judge paid him his next month's wages and started over with that thirty dollars. 

Now a run of bad luck at the tables had reduced him to this. 

Six-dollars and forty-three cents. 

Well, River Bend was not a big town. It should be enough of a stake to get him into a game and he had a feeling that his luck was about to change. There was a tingle of anticipation running through him. 

A knock on the door informed him that the bath he had ordered was being delivered and he rose to let the bellboy in. 

An hour later, freshly bathed and dressed in clean pants, shirt and vest, with his boots neatly polished and his lucky red jacket, as clear of dust as he could get it, he headed over to the saloon. 

He stepped into the dusty saloon and let his eyes adjust to the dim light. He quickly and efficiently read the room. Vin was sitting at a table off to the left of the bar, his back to the wall, turned slightly to the side with his right leg angled out a bit so that should he need to draw his mare's leg he would not be hindered by the table. A bottle of whiskey sat on the table in front of him and he held a shot glass in his hand. He would nurse a couple of drinks for the entire night and the bottle would go with them when they headed back out on the trail. With a bounty on his head, Vin couldn't afford to get drunk. 

To the right of the bar was a raised platform with a poker game going around the lone table there. Several other tables were occupied as well, a couple of cowhands at one, several townspeople at another. Three working girls in brightly colored and immodest dresses wove their way through the crowd carrying drinks and flirting with the patrons. 

He smiled, meeting Vin's eyes for just a second, then strolled towards the poker table. 

Vin gave an almost imperceptible nod and watched Ezra as he made his way to the poker table. He frowned as Ezra spoke to the dealer a moment then turned and made his way over to Vin's table. 

"Something the matter?" Vin asked as Ezra dropped into the 

"Table stakes are ten dollars." The gambler glumly replied. 

"So?" 

"So, Mistah Tannah, I have exactly six dollars and forty-three cents in mah pocket." 

Vin motioned the barkeeper for another glass and raised an eyebrow at Ezra, "What happened ta all that money ya been winnin'." 

"It's in Four Corners." 

"Oh. Wouldn'ta thought that ya'd let it outta yer sight." 

"Yes, well apparently I have become complacent. It's in the bank." 

"The Four Corner's bank?" Vin began to laugh. "You put your money in the Four Corners bank?" 

"What is so bloody funny?" 

"Hell, somebody tries ta rob it at least once a week, Ez!" 

"Tries is the operative word, Mistah Tannah. No one has succeeded in months." 

"Only cause we're there." 

"Exactly." 

Vin regarded him over the top of his glass for a while, "So, what yer saying is, that ya trust us ta keep your money safe." 

Ezra turned his glass around in his hand regarding the liquid contemplatively. "Ah suppose that one could say that." 

Vin chuckled again then sobered as Ezra eyed him speculatively. 

"Tell me something, Mister Tanner. How much money do you have on you right now?" 

"'Nough, I reckon." 

"Do you 'reckon' you might have five dollars?" 

"Might. Why?" 

"Loan it to me." 

"Fer what?" 

"So that I can join the poker game, sir." 

"What if you lose it?" 

"I won't lose it." 

"Can't be sure." 

"Very well, I'll bet you five dollars that I can double your money in that game." 

"What'd I get if ya lose it?" 

"If I lose it I'll pay you ten dollars when we return to Four Corners." 

"And if you double it?" 

"I'll give you your five dollars back out of the winnings." 

"Nope." 

"That is perfectly fair, Mister Tanner. You can't lose. If I win you get the five dollars back and if I lose you get double that back. How can you say 'no'? It isn't every day that one finds a bet one cannot lose." 

"If ya lose you pay me the ten dollars when we get back to Four Corners. If ya win I get half of your winnings." 

"What?! Absolutely not!" 

"Then ya ain't getting the five bucks." Vin smirked at him. "I put up half the stake I get half the winnings _that's _fair."__

____

____

"Fine! Give me the money!" 

"Tell me we got a deal." 

"We have a bargain, Mister Tanner. Half the stake equals half the winnings." 

Vin grinned as he pulled the folded five-dollar bill out of his shirt pocket and started to hand it to Ezra. Just before Ezra could snatch it out of his hand he pulled it back and kissed it. 

"For luck," Vin grinned as the gambler rolled his eyes at him then snatched the bill out of his hand, pushing his chair back and marching over to the poker table. 

A moment later Ezra pulled out a chair and joined the game. 

Vin watched for a while then got up and left the saloon. He stopped off at the bathhouse and took a long leisurely bath before heading to the hotel. 

He wasn't surprised when he reached the room to find that Ezra had hung his jacket over the back of the chair Vin had tossed it on or that the gambler had taken it upon himself to brush the coat. He could just see the fastidious man holding the coat at arm's length as he draped it over the chair back then unable to look at the dusty thing taking his clothes brush and beating some of the dust off it. 

Fastidious. He grinned at the word. He had learned it from Ezra. He had learned a lot from Ezra in the last year. After learning about the bounty on Vin, the gambler had taught the tracker to pick locks. He'd also been helping Vin with learning to read and write. Mary Travis had begun Vin's lessons, but Chris Larabee had soon become jealous of all the time that the quiet tracker was spending with Mary and Vin had decided that he should find another teacher. Ezra had volunteered, stating a need to apologize for laughing at Vin when the younger man had asked him to write out a poem for him. 

Ezra had turned out to be an excellent teacher. Not only did the books he chose for Vin to read help his reading they also helped to close the other gaps in Vin's education, filling him in on history and literature. He had also taught Vin math. While Vin had known how to *count* money and make change he had known nothing about addition and subtraction let alone multiplication and division. 

Vin hung his mare's leg on the bedpost, where it would be close to hand then tucked his colt under the pillow and sat down on the edge of the bed to pull off his boots. He reached over to turn the lamp on the bedside table down and grinned. A small tin of grease sat next to it. 

"Looks like old Ez is plannin' on us havin' a bit a'fun when he gets in," Vin muttered to himself. He and the gambler had been sleeping together occasionally for the last few months and the grease was what they normally used for lube. 

While Vin liked women well enough he had shied away from them, for the most part, not wanting to endanger a woman because of the bounty on his head. Then after the mess with Charlotte he had sworn off them entirely. Then one evening on the trail after Ezra had spent the entire day complaining, he'd dumped the gambler off Chaucer in mid-stream. Ezra had retaliated by pulling him off of Peso and they had ended up, wrestling in the water. One thing had led to another and they had begun having sex on an irregular basis. Ezra had never actually said that he didn't have any sexual interest in women, but Vin got the impression that he preferred men. He was certainly damned good in bed. 

Vin turned the lamp down then laid back on the bed and smiled. It wasn't just that Ezra was good in bed, they had become good friends over the last year. 

Gradually he had discovered that the two of them had more in common than most people would think. They had both spent most of their lives alone. Vin was an orphan and had spent most of his childhood in an orphanage before running away and ending up living with the Indians. Although Ezra still had his mother, she had dropped him off with every relative they had, only returning for him when she needed him for a con she was running. Because of that both men had had lonely childhoods. They had both learned to be self-sufficient, to take care of themselves and depend on... and trust, no one. 

While their backgrounds were different they were both very intelligent and had become proficient at what they did for a living. Vin was one of the finest trackers and marksmen in the territory and Ezra was one of the best gamblers that Vin had ever run across not to mention a damn good con man. Vin figured Ezra could sell ice in a blizzard... and he wouldn't mind a bit sitting back and watching him do it. 

He smiled as he turned over and closed his eyes. He liked Ezra. He liked him a lot and he was looking forward to the fun when Ezra came to bed. But that would be a while he knew. He might as well get some sleep. 

************************************************* 

Several hours later, he heard the soft knock on the door and Ezra's honeyed drawl, "Vin? Ezra coming in." 

Vin rolled over but didn't shove the pistol back under the pillow, keeping it aligned on the door. "Com'on." 

The key rattled in the door then Ezra pushed it open. He flashed a smile at Vin as the tracker uncocked the gun and sat up against the headboard letting it fall to his side. 

"What time is it?" Vin asked with a yawn. He didn't feel like he had been asleep very long. 

"Just after midnight." 

"Early fer ya to be comin' ta bed. Ya lose my money?" 

Ezra laughed as he came to sit on the side of the bed facing the headboard and Vin. He reached into his vest pocket and tossed a wad of bills on the bed between them. 

"Nope. Three hundred and twenty dollars, Mistah Tannah. Ah could have won more but ah kept gettin' distracted." He gave Vin a predatory look, then he slipped the tip of his tongue out and slowly licked his upper lip. 

"Distracted? By what?" Vin teased. 

Ezra crawled across the bed on his knees, ignoring the money and the fact he was still dressed, until he could sit across Vin's legs and scoot up onto his lap. "By an itch, Mistah Tannah. An itch way up inside a'me that can only be scratched by that big cock of yours." He leaned in and claimed a kiss. 

Vin moaned into the kiss and let one arm circle Ezra's waist tugging him close. 

Ezra sighed as he broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against Vin's for a moment. 

Vin let his hand run up and down Ezra's back under the red jacket for a long moment, then moved his head to let Ezra know that he wanted him to move back a bit. "Well then, ya better get outta them clothes if ya want it scratched." 

Ezra stroked his hand down the front of Vin's soft cotton shirt, smiling at the fact that it was the same red as his jacket. He wondered if anyone else had noticed that Vin's favorite shirt was the same color as Ezra's favorite jacket. He settled back on Vin's lap, a wicked gleam lighting his eyes as he felt the distinctive bulge he was sitting on. "Feels like you're ready to do some scratching," he purred. 

Reaching down he held out his hand for Vin's pistol and Vin let him take it and lay it on the bedside table. Reluctantly Ezra moved off his lover and began to undress, while Vin gathered up the scattered money and shuffled it together, holding it out to Ezra to put up. 

Ezra raised an eyebrow at him as he took it and Vin smiled, "We can divvy it up in the morning, Ez. Got more important things ta do now." He grinned at the pleased look on Ezra's face at the comment, delighted that it pleased Ezra that Vin considered sex with him more important than dividing the money. 

Ezra dropped the money into his hat along with his cuff links, cravat pin and watch before returning to the removal of his clothes. 

Vin watched with appreciative eyes, as the pale, ivory skin of his lover was revealed to him. As the last of Ezra's clothing was laid aside and he padded cat like to the bedside, Vin held out his hand to him, smiling in welcome, his eyes lit with what looked surprisingly like love... with what was certainly affection. 

Ezra looked at him hungrily, sly, cat-green eyes sliding along the long lean length of him laid out beneath the quilt that covered the bed, stopping momentarily at the bulge that clearly showed at Vin's crotch. Ezra's own cock lay flat against his belly, already hard and beginning to weep precum. The tip of his tongue flicked out and slid along the curve of his upper lip, reminding Vin again of a cat licking cream. 

Then with a chuckle he reached for the corner of the quilt and swept it down and off to reveal Vin to his greedy gaze. He moved onto the bed with the elegant easy grace of a cat and settled himself across Vin's thighs before slowly sliding up to straddle Vin's hips, rubbing himself against the soft warm texture of the buckskin pants Vin wore. 

He placed his hands on the front of Vin's shirt, stroking gently, feeling the softness and the slight coarseness of fabric under his fingertips. He was struck again by the color and again for some reason he could not quite comprehend, was inordinately pleased that it was a perfect match for his favorite jacket. Eyes darkening with desire, he began to slowly unbutton the shirt. Nimble fingers stroked the skin beneath as it was revealed, and Vin reached for his hips steadying Ezra as he arched up pressing his hardness against Ezra's firm buttocks. 

Ezra moaned softly as Vin's hand began to stroke gently. Callused fingertips glided across his skin with a whisper of touch, barely there, yet leaving ribbons of fire behind them. He shivered at the ghost like caress, amazed as always that a man who seemed so coarse and rough, so much a creature of the wild could be so very gentle. 

Vin grinned. God! How he loved to see Ezra like this, naked and needy, reduced to soft moans and sighs by Vin's touch. He felt a sudden, inexplicable stab of jealousy. Had anyone else ever seen Ezra like this? For the first time since he'd begun sleeping with the other man he wondered where Ezra had learned how to please a man the way he did and felt a rush of anger at whoever had taught the gambler. Ezra was his, dammit! Nobody else had any right to touch him! Nobody else had any right to hear those sighs and moans, to see the gambler's skin flushed with heat, his eyes dilated with desire. 

An urgent need to claim Ezra as his alone swept through him. With a growl he moved, twisting to flip them over, pinning Ezra beneath him. His mouth clamped down on Ezra's, hungry and demanding. 

Ezra's eyes went wide at Vin's sudden movement, they locked on the tracker's face, confusion filling them as he saw the look in Vin's eyes. The man looked angry and... jealous? Then Vin's mouth descended on his and he forgot everything as he was overwhelmed by the tracker's uncharacteristic urgency. 

Vin devoured Ezra's mouth, his tongue thrusting deep within it. He sucked on Ezra's tongue, nibbled on the gambler's lips then trailed kisses and little nips down Ezra's throat. With another growl he bit into the spot where Ezra's neck and shoulder met, and sucked on it, marking the gambler. 

Ezra's eyes closed and he moaned loudly. Good Lord! He'd always known that Vin could be aggressive and demanding but the tracker had never shown that side of himself in bed before. He'd always been gentle, sometimes too gentle for Ezra's tastes, leaving the gambler to wonder if Vin truly desired him or if he was merely a convenience. 

That doubt was quickly being washed away as the tracker made his way down Ezra's body, licking, nipping and sucking. Vin lavished his attention on Ezra's nipples. He nipped at one then dove across to the other then back to swirl his tongue around the first and suck it up into a hard nub before returning to the other to give it the same treatment. He licked a line down the center of Ezra's chest then dipped his tongue into Ezra's navel, chuckling as the gambler arched up and cried out his name. 

Ezra's hands clutched at Vin's head, tangling in the long hair. He loved Vin's hair. It was soft and silky. The curls clung to his fingers, as if they were alive. 

Vin thrust his tongue in and out of Ezra's navel half a dozen times then licked his way across to the point of the gambler's hipbone. He marked him there, nipping hard then licking it with his tongue and sucking hard on it to leave a large red passion mark behind as he trailed his kisses down the curve of the bone and along the top of Ezra's thigh, ignoring the gambler's straining cock. 

Ezra felt Vin's hair sliding through his hands as the tracker moved away from him. 

Sitting up abruptly, Vin knelt between Ezra's thighs, staring down at the other man, a look of satisfaction on his face, his eyes dark with desire. He yanked off his shirt and tossed it across the room, heedless of where it landed. 

Ezra whimpered at the loss of contact and writhed on the bed, drawing his legs up, bending his knees and spreading his thighs wantonly. He clutched at the covers beneath them and thrust his hips up, his rampart cock bobbing, precum splattering across his belly. 

Vin savored the sight for a moment. He had done this. He had reduced the sophisticated, educated, articulate conman to this, to this mass of wanton need, begging helplessly, wordlessly for Vin to take him, whimpering like an animal in heat. 

He reached out and caressed the inside of Ezra's thigh and smiled with pleasure as the gambler's hips bounced off the bed, thrusting up, trying to reach Vin's hand, get it to touch his dripping cock. 

Ezra's eyes blinked open revealing pupils so dilated with need that only a thin rim of emerald ringed them. He blinked at Vin and whimpered, writhing under the tracker's caress. 

With a growl, Vin grabbed Ezra's thighs and pushed his legs up against his chest, curling the gambler into a ball then he buried his face between Ezra's nether cheeks and drove his tongue into the tender puckered hole there. 

Ezra shrieked, forgetting in the moment that he needed to be quiet.

Vin gave one final thrust of his tongue into the quivering hole then sat back on his haunches and ripped open his pants, his cock springing out. 

Ezra gave another whimpering moan at the loss of Vin's touch then as his legs flopped back down his eyes opened and he saw Vin tearing at his pants and his cock popping out. Ezra flipped over on his belly and slapped a hand out to the bedside table, knowing that it was time for the grease he had left there. It took three tries before his hand closed on the tin but then he dropped back, lying half-twisted on the bed to shove it into Vin's hand before turning back on his belly and coming up on his knees. Vin seldom took him from behind, but he wanted it like that, needed it like that, needed to be claimed and possessed and he knew instinctively that Vin wanted it that way too, this time. 

He heard the top of the tin hit the floor then a slick finger was thrust into him. He thrust back to meet it and almost immediately another finger joined the first. 

Vin quickly scissored them inside Ezra opening him up then added a third finger. Vin didn't take long preparing Ezra. They were both too desperate to be joined to take much time. A moment later, Ezra felt the head of Vin's cock pressing at his entrance and pushed back to hasten the penetration. 

Feeling Ezra push back and knowing that the gambler was as eager as he was Vin thrust forward and buried his shaft to the balls in his lover. He bent over Ezra's back a moment letting him adjust to being filled as he kissed and nipped his way across the gambler's shoulders, leaving a myriad of small passion marks in his wake. 

After a moment Vin began to thrust, slow and easy to begin with but soon he was pounding into Ezra and Ezra was slamming back to meet him. The gambler was making mewling sounds of pleasure muffled by the pillow he had buried his face in, knowing that he couldn't keep quiet and not wanting to make too much noise. Always aware that the walls of the hotel were thin and there was no way to tell who might hear if he cried out too loudly. 

Vin couldn't last long, and he came with a loud grunt, biting off the shout he wanted to let out. He felt Ezra's muscles tighten around him and realized that Ezra had come with him even though neither of them had touched Ezra's cock. 

He collapsed over Ezra's back then pulled them over to lie on their sides, his cock still buried in Ezra as it slowly went limp. Both his arms were still around the gambler's waist, holding him tightly. 

They both lay panting for a long moment. 

Then Vin nuzzled Ezra's neck, kissing him gently, his urgency sated for now. "Oh, God, Ez!" He murmured. "Yer so good, baby." 

Ezra barely heard the words, floating on a cloud of satiation and contentment, he vaguely registered that Vin had called him, 'baby'. For a second he wondered at the term of endearment. Neither of them was wont to use such but he drifted off to sleep before he could think any more about it. 

************************************************* 

Ezra awoke in Vin's arms. Held quite tightly in Vin's arms in fact. Sometime during the night they had turned to face each other. His face was buried in Vin's chest. His head rested on one of Vin's arms and the tracker's other arm was wrapped tightly around him. One of Ezra's arms was folded between them and the other was wrapped around Vin. He was surprised at how right it felt to wake up like this, snuggled against the tracker. 

He knew that something had changed in their relationship the night before, but he wasn't certain exactly what had happened and he didn't feel secure enough to ask... not just yet. More surprising than the position he found himself in was the fact that he was awake before Vin. Normally the tracker was up before daylight while Ezra would sleep until noon unless forced to get up. 

He moved just a bit and Vin was instantly awake. Blue eyes looked down at him with concern, "Ya okay, Ez?" Vin asked softly. 

Ezra smiled, "Very." 

"Ya sure. I..." he hesitated and blushed a bit, "I was a little rough last night. I didn't hurt ya did I? Yer okay to ride today ain't ya?" 

Ezra's smile widened and he chuckled softly, "No, Mister Tannah, you didn't hurt me... and yes Ah can ride. Ah shall be reminded of you and the pleasure we shared last night with every stride Chaucer takes but that is not entirely a bad thing." He let his hand stroke down Vin's chest and felt the tracker's cock stir where it lay pressed against his leg. His eyes sparked with desire. 

Vin chuckled, "I'd love to, Ez... but we gotta get that prisoner and get back to Four Corners. Chris'll be breathin' fire iffn we ain't back by nightfall. 

Ezra sighed and nodded. Rolling over he slipped out of the bed, turning back he smiled coyly at Vin, "Sure?" 

"No... but can't be helped. Get dressed." Vin ordered, sitting up on the other side of the bed facing away from Ezra. Looking down at his half erect cock he muttered, "Ya stay out this. I got work ta do." 

He heard Ezra chuckle and blushed as he realized that the other man had heard his remark. 

Ezra couldn't hold back the laugh. "No need to be embarrassed, Mister Tanner. I fear I shall be chastising a certain rebellious part of my own anatomy quite a bit today on our return journey to our humble abode." 

************************************************* 

The trip back to Four Corners was uneventful. The prisoner was rather docile, and no one made an attempt to break him loose from the peacekeepers. 

This gave Ezra time to think about the night before. He had known for quite some time, even before he had broached the possibility of the two of them having sex to Vin, that he was attracted to the handsome tracker. Despite the rough way that Vin dressed and his obvious lack of an education, Vin Tanner was a very attractive man. He was kind and gentle, generous and thoughtful. While he could and had killed, he had no love for killing and did so only when pushed into it. 

Then had come the incident with the poem and Ezra had discovered that beneath the rough exterior lay a sensitive soul, a natural poet, who could turn simple words into beautiful images. He had begun to record Vin's poems for him, writing them down in a journal for the tracker and the physical desire he felt for Vin had begun to deepen into a more emotional connection. One thing he had never done was try to con himself. He was in love with Vin Tanner. That was the reason he remained in Four Corners. As long as Vin was there he would stay. _What if Vin leaves... what then?_

____

____

He shifted uneasily in the saddle. _And what happened last night? _There had been anger in Vin's eyes and jealousy. _Does Vin think that I might have been unfaithful? Why was he angry? Who was he jealous of?___

_____ _

_____ _

He sighed. One thing he knew for sure. Last night Vin had wanted him. Of this he was sure, for the first time in all the months that they had been sleeping together he was absolutely certain that Vin had wanted him, that the tracker hadn't been thinking about anyone else. _Oh God, Ez! Yer so good, baby! _Vin's words from the night before echoed in his mind. _Baby? Where did that come from? ...and what does it mean?___

_____ _

_____ _

He drew up, pulling Chaucer to a stop. _Could it be? Could Vin have *feelings* for him? _He felt his heart begin to race. _Oh, Lord! _Did he dare to hope....____

_____ _

_____ _

"Ez! Ya okay?" 

Vin's voice cut through his musings and Ezra looked up with a jerk. He was sitting still on the trail with Vin and the prisoner several yards ahead of him. 

Vin had turned Peso around to face back down the trail towards Ezra. He had a worried look on his face. He threw a glare at the prisoner that made the man shy to the side out of Vin's line of sight so that Vin had a clear view of Ezra. 

"I'm Fine, Mister Tanner." Ezra reassured the other man. 

"Ya wanna stop for a bit? Take a rest? We could have a bite of lunch." Vin offered. 

Ezra looked around. This didn't seem to be a good spot to stop. 

Vin seemed to know what he was thinking, "We'll be at the river in 'bout half an hour. We can camp there." 

Ezra nodded, "Thank you, Mister Tanner. I would appreciate a short break." 

At the river Vin helped the prisoner down, shoved a bit of hard tack and jerky in his hands and dropped a canteen beside him, while Ezra slowly dismounted and walked around a bit, stretching. 

Ezra dug in his saddlebags coming up with a couple of apples and biscuits that he had gotten from the restaurant in town before they had left. He walked over to where Vin was, with the food in his hands. 

Vin had taken his bedroll off Peso and had folded it to make a padded seat on a fallen tree. He smiled at Ezra as the gambler offered him one of the apples and a biscuit. Dropping down into a cross-legged position on the ground beside the fallen tree he nodded towards the folded bedroll indicating that Ezra should sit there. 

They ate in companionable silence, but Ezra could feel Vin's eyes on him. They finished up and Ezra stood to head down to the river to wash his hands. Vin followed him. 

When he stood up to go back to the campsite he found himself face to face with the tracker. "Ya sure yer okay, Ez? Yer awful stiff." 

Ezra chuckled softly, "Stiff is a good choice of words." He smiled at Vin, "Your concern is touching, but unnecessary. I am fine... and we would not wish to irritate Mister Larabee by being late." 

"If yer hurtin', Ez, Chris can go to hell!" Vin reached out to grasp Ezra's upper arms. "Ya tell me, dammit! Are ya hurtin'?" 

Ezra looked up at him, seeing the genuine worry in the blue eyes. He smiled and leaned into Vin's arms. He was grateful that they were blocked from the prisoner's sight by the bushes around them. "I'm a bit sore, Vin. It's not serious." He smiled, "Certainly not worth having Mister Larabee chew me out for our being late." 

Vin swallowed hard and reached a hand up to caress Ezra's face, "If yer sure..." 

"I'm sure." He paused sensing what was really worrying the other man, "You did _not _hurt me, Vin. I enjoyed last night. It was wonderful. I..." he ducked his head almost shyly, "I... liked your... aggressiveness. It... it made me feel... desired."__

____

____

Vin pulled him close, crushing Ezra to him, and kissed him hard. "Yer always desired, Ez. Always! Sometimes... sometimes I want ya so bad that it's all I can do not ta just grab ya, kiss ya, wrap myself 'round ya and never let ya go!" He was planting kisses all over Ezra's face and neck, nibbling on Ezra's ears, his hands were roaming, touching, caressing, groping all over Ezra's body. 

With a strangled cry, Ezra wrenched himself out of the grasping hands. He was panting, his eyes dilated with need, his cock hard as a rock in his pants. Vin was the same. The tracker surged back toward him and Ezra put a restraining hand on the other man's chest. "Vin... Mister Tanner... stop... stop... we... we have to go. We have... a job... to do. Please...." 

Vin stared at him a moment, struggling with his need, his blue eyes were dark with desire, his pants tented where his hard cock was trapped within them. He was panting, too. He took a couple of deep breaths then nodded. "Yeah. Yeah. Yer right. Sorry." He turned and strode away before he lost control again. 

"I am sorry too, Mister Tanner," Ezra whispered to his retreating back. 

************************************************* 

Their return to Four Corners was greeted with gunshots as some 'damned fools' attempted to rob the bank. Vin found himself chuckling at the outraged look on Ezra's face. He couldn't help himself. Now that Ezra's money was residing in the bank it seemed he was going to take every attempted robbery personally. He quit laughing though when Ezra darted out in the middle of the street, bullets kicking up dust all around him as he cut off one of the escaping outlaws, shooting him out of the saddle. 

When the smoke cleared, Larabee stalked over to where the gambler stood, as Ezra calmly reloaded his gun, intent on giving him a tongue-lashing for putting himself in the line of fire.

He clamped his mouth shut as he realized that he was too late. 

Vin was already laying into the gambler. "Just what in Hell did ya think ya were doing?" the tracker snarled, giving Standish a good impression of the Larabee killer glare. He had grabbed Ezra's arm and was shaking him. "Ya coulda got yer fool self killed! Don'tcha ever lemme see ya do something so stupid again! Ya hear me?" He shook the gambler again, hard. "Answer me dammit! Ya hear me?" 

"I heard you, Mister Tanner!" Ezra snapped back at him. He jerked his arm free of the tracker's hand, "Really!" he muttered as he turned away and stalked off, passing Larabee on his way towards the bank. "One would think, Mister Tanner, that you thought you were Mister Larabee!" 

Vin stood in the center of the street a moment staring down at the ground. He looked up as Larabee joined him. 

"You lit into him pretty hard, Cowboy. What was that about?" 

"What was that about?" Vin snarled, turning on Chris, "You saw what he did! He coulda been killed running out here like that! Didn't say nothin' ya wouldn'ta said!" Vin pushed past Chris and headed for the saloon, mumbling under his breath. 

"Maybe not, cowboy... but you don't usually light into anybody like that." Larabee shook his head. Something wasn't right here. Vin, who would normally be headed for the bank to check on everyone and make sure they were all right was headed for the saloon, while Ezra, who normally headed straight for the saloon after a shootout was in the bank. 

Nathan and Josiah who had also witnessed Vin's unusual outburst walked over to join Chris. 

Nathan watched the tracker's retreating back then looked up the street to where Ezra was calming the bank customers. "Reckon something happened in River Bend?" he asked, turning worried eyes on Chris. 

The gunslinger shook his head. Usually he could tell what was bothering the quiet tracker. They had some sort of connection that let them communicate almost without words. Now, though, he wasn't sure what was going on. Vin was acting out of character... then again so was Ezra. "Reckon they'll tell us when they're ready." 

"May be... maybe not." Josiah intoned softly. 

"You know something, Josiah?" Nathan asked. 

"Nothing I can talk about." The big preacher sighed. Ezra had gotten drunk one night a couple of months before and confessed to him that he and the tracker were having sex... and that he wanted more than just sex from the man. It looked like the relationship was coming to a head. Josiah just hoped that the two men could work it out without destroying the seven. 

************************************************* 

Vin stomped into the saloon grabbed a bottle and a glass off the bar and headed for a back table, putting his back to the wall, he poured himself a drink and threw it back, immediately pouring another. 

_Dammit! _He felt like he was shaking all over. He stared at his hand holding the shot glass and dared it to shake. It looked steady but that did nothing to alleviate the feeling that he was shaking.__

____

____

Ezra had scared him half to death. The gambler could have been killed then... [What would I do? I don't know. Don't think I could live with seeing him killed.] 

He took a swallow of the whiskey. God! He'd never felt such gut wrenching terror in his life as when he'd looked up to see Ezra, standing up and walking out into that street. He'd felt as if he could feel every bullet that kicked up dirt around Ezra, as if the bullets had torn into the tracker's heart. 

That was it. Wasn't it? His heart. Ezra was his heart... and just seeing the man walk right out into a hail of bullets had damn near killed him. He couldn't handle this. He had to back off. Maybe if he stayed away from the other man the feelings would fade. He couldn't do his job if he got this shook up every time Ezra was in danger. 

************************************************* 

Ezra finished helping the bank manager make sure that all the money had been recovered. He checked to make sure that his box was safe. It hadn't been bothered. Then he headed across to the saloon. 

Buck and JD had seen to the cleanup of the outlaws, Buck getting the undertaker to deal with the three dead ones, while JD hauled the one that had given up and the one that Vin and Ezra had brought back with them over to the jail. Nathan and Josiah were dealing with the two wounded outlaws and would deliver them to the jail when they had been patched up. 

Chris had settled in the chair in front of the saloon. He looked up as Ezra stepped up on the boardwalk. "That was a damn fool stunt, Ezra. You could have gotten yourself killed. Don't do it again." 

"Someone had to stop him, Mister Larabee. Besides I believe that I have already had this conversation with Mister Tanner." 

Chris nodded, "Want ta tell me why he was yelling at you?" 

"I'm not entirely certain that I know, Mister Larabee," Ezra replied easily. He touched two fingers to his hat and stepped inside the saloon. He stepped to the side and stood a moment letting his eyes adjust to the dim light. His gaze went immediately to the back table, spotting Vin sitting there. 

The tracker glanced up then pointedly looked down at the table. 

Ezra's heart fell. Vin was ignoring him. He knew that Vin didn't like for them to sleep together in town, but he had hoped the tracker might make an exception tonight. After the long ride with the constant reminder of Vin's possessive and demanding lovemaking of the previous night he was seriously aroused, and he didn't want anyone but the tracker taking care of his 'need'. 

He casually made his way to his usual table and sat down, taking out a deck of cards and beginning to shuffle. 

Normally Vin would have looked up and watched Ezra manipulate the cards, loving the sight of Ezra's nimble fingers caressing the cards. He ignored the soft whisper of the cards and resolutely stared down at the table. 

Ezra shifted in the chair. His backside ached. His eyes flicked back to Vin's still silent figure, then away again. The ache turned into an itch, an impossibly deep itch, way up inside him where there was no way for him to scratch it. He shifted again. His cock was hard. Good Lord! What was wrong with him? 

He stopped shuffling the cards and stared down at them. He needed Vin. He needed to be held and loved... loved like Vin had loved him last night... but Vin wouldn't even look at him. 

He took a deep, steadying breath then rose and forced himself to walk calmly across the room and up the stairs to his room. He kept his poker face firmly in place, not giving a hint that his heart was breaking. 

************************************************* 

Chris strolled into the saloon and looked around. Ezra was nowhere to be seen. He must have gone on up to his room. 

Vin? Vin was at the far back table, the one tucked in the corner at the end of the bar, his back to the wall, looking remarkably like a cornered animal. 

He had a bottle in front of him and it was already half empty. That made Chris frown. Vin was not a heavy drinker. He couldn't be, with a bounty on his head. It was just too dangerous. 

Chris stalked over to the table and sat down. "You planning ta get drunk?" he demanded. 

"What if I am?" Vin snarled back at him. 

"Then I reckon I'll just sit here and watch your back, cowboy," Chris said easily. 

When Vin looked up at him he added softly, "You've done it enough times for me. I reckon everybody needs to get drunk now and then. You go ahead. I won't let anything happen to you." 

After a long moment of silence Vin nodded and muttered, "Thanks." He poured himself another drink and sipped at it. 

Chris sat at the table with Vin the rest of the night. The tracker drank slowly but steadily. The night passed slowly. 

Chris wouldn't help but notice that Ezra never put in an appearance. A bunch of hands from one of the nearby ranches came in with money in their pockets, looking for a game and ended up playing with JD, Buck and Josiah when they couldn't find Ezra. 

As the night grew later, most everyone else turned in, leaving Chris and Vin sitting alone at the back table. Inez nodded to Chris and he nodded back, agreeing to lock up when he dragged Vin out. 

After a long silence Vin suddenly turned to Chris and asked, "She ever scare ya?" 

"What?" Chris blinked, "Who?" He hadn't expected the question and had no reference to figure out what Vin was talking about. 

"Yer wife. Sarah. She ever scare ya? Do something so damn fool stupid that ya thought sure she's gonna get kilt. Somethin' that scared ya plumb blind and shitless. Scared ya worse'n getting' kilt yerself. Froze ya solid, so's ya couldn't move or speak or do nothin' till it was over. She ever scare ya like that?" 

Chris stared at the tracker. 

Vin's eyes were filled with anguish. Before Chris could answer him he went on, "I's scared. Oh god! I's scared. He walked right out there. Bullets ever where. I couldn't move... or say nothin'... I thought he's gonna die. Gonna die... an' I ain't told him. Ain't told'm that I love him." The last came out in a broken sob. For a second longer Vin stared blindly out across the dimly lit saloon then his head fell forward and he passed out on the table. 

For a moment Chris sat staring at the tracker in shock before his mind could quite wrap itself around what his friend had said. His mind flashed back to the scene in the street that afternoon. Ezra walking out into the street with bullets flying all around him. _Ezra. Vin's in love with Ezra. _Vin yelling at Ezra. He hadn't been angry. _Scared. He was scared. Scared blind and shitless. _How could they have missed something that serious going on between the two men... unless it had just gotten serious....____

_____ _

_____ _

'Reckon something happened in River Bend?' Nathan's words echoed in his mind. 

He reached out and pushed the younger man's hair away from his face so that he could see it better. _God! He looks so young!_

____

____

Chris frowned, "So," he muttered, "something happened in River Bend. What?" 

He thought back to the afternoon. Ezra walking towards the bank, walking stiffly, limping a bit? Saddle sore? Or something else...? He focused on Vin walking towards the saloon. Vin hadn't been stiff. He'd walked as loose and easy as ever. 

So, if it was _something else _then Ezra had been on the receiving end. What should he do? Was there anything he could do?__

____

____

He looked up at the sound of boots on the boardwalk outside the saloon. 

Josiah stepped up to the batwing doors. "Everything okay in there, Brother Chris?" The preacher asked quietly, not raising his voice, knowing that the sound would carry easily across the empty saloon. 

"I'm not sure." He looked at the older man for a long moment. "I need to ask Ezra something. Could you sit with Vin till I get back?" 

"Sure, Brother." Josiah smiled and stepped into the saloon and walked over to the table. He pulled out a chair and sat down. He grinned, "Go in low, he shoots high." 

It was a running joke among the peacekeepers. Ezra did not appreciate being awakened before he was ready to be awake and had been known to take a shot at whoever disturbed him. 

Chris just grinned as he headed up the stairs. Hell, he didn't have a clue what he was going to say to the man. How do you ask someone, if they let your best friend fuck them? 

He tapped lightly on the door, not a hundred percent certain that he wanted to wake Standish up. 

"Who's there?" a muffled voice demanded. 

"Larabee." It figured that when he didn't know, if he wanted the man to answer the door he'd be awake. 

There was a muffled curse then the sounds of someone stumbling around in the dark. After a few more swear words and thumps and bumps Chris saw light shining from under the door and figured that Standish had managed to get the lamp lit. A few more mumbled words and the door was yanked open. 

Ezra stood there glaring at him. He wore his shirt, pants and boots. His derringer rig was strapped to his arm and the little gun was in his hand. His hair was disheveled and his eyes red rimmed. He pointed the peashooter at Larabee. "What do you want." 

Larabee understood every word. There wasn't one word with more than one syllable. Apparently Standish's dictionary didn't function at three in the morning. 

"Need to talk to you." 

"What about?" 

About had two syllables. Standish's brain was starting to warm up. Best to get to it before he became fully awake. 

"Vin." 

"I have nothing to say to you on the subject of Mister Tanner." The gun never wavered, and the door started to close. 

Shit! He hadn't wanted to do it this way but there was no hope for it now. With a snarl he grabbed the derringer, forcing his thumb between the cocked back hammer and the frame of the weapon, preventing it from firing. He swore as the hammer fell on his thumb. Damn! That hurt! 

He drove his shoulder into the door forcing it back, knocking Ezra back into the room. The gambler stumbled and fell. He ended up sitting back against the bed, head lowered, his arms crossed across his chest hugging himself, his legs doubled under him. He looked small, scared and vulnerable. 

Chris felt the sudden urge to gather him up his arms and cradle him there like a child, to soothe and comfort him. He almost did it but drew up short just before he made that mistake. _Damn conman! _Ezra Standish was about as vulnerable as a wounded wolverine... Hell! He was probably _more _dangerous.____

_____ _

_____ _

He stepped back and said, "Ezra, I need to know what's going on. Vin's passed out drunk downstairs-" He broke off abruptly as Ezra came up off the floor in a rage. 

"Alone?" he snarled, charging at Larabee. "You left him alone!" 

"No!" Chris caught the enraged man. "Hell, no! I wouldn't do that! Josiah's with him. Dammit Ezra! Calm down!" He shook the smaller man then let him go as Standish jerked away from him, moving to stand at the foot of the bed. 

Ezra hung on to the bedpost as he tried to get himself under control. He was shaking again, and he could feel tears welling up. He hadn't cried as much in the last fifteen years as he had today. After he'd left Vin sitting in the saloon he'd come up to his room and tried to sort through his feelings and ended up crying himself to sleep. Now Larabee was here demanding to know what had happened. How could he tell him what had happened when he didn't know himself? 

Chris watched him in silence for a moment then stepped closer, "Ezra," he said softly, "I'm not your enemy. I didn't come here to hurt you. I just want to help. Try and believe that, and just tell me what happened." 

Ezra turned to look at him and Chris could see the despair in his eyes, "I don't know what happened," he whispered, "I just don't know!" 

Tears welled in the green eyes and Chris couldn't help himself, he stepped closer and drew the smaller man into his arms, letting him bury his face against his chest as he wept silently. 

Chris was amazed at that. The gambler's shoulders shook, his body was racked with sobs, but he didn't make a sound. Chris held him until the shaking stopped and Ezra drew back and slowly pulled himself from the gunfighter's embrace. 

Ezra stepped away and Chris let him go, let him gather up his dignity and distance himself from the gunfighter. After a moment he moved around the bed and sat down in the rocking chair there, gesturing for Larabee to take the straight back chair nearby. He wiped his face and cleared his throat. 

"Vin and I... we've been having sex for several months. It was... a convenience... at least for him. I... knew from the beginning that I was playing with fire that I would only get hurt but I could not... resist him... deny him... I... I love him but I never dared to tell him." 

"Is that what happened in River Bend? Did you tell him?" 

"No... I'm not certain what happened. He... we had sex, but it was... different than before. He was very aggressive, demanding... po... possessive." He hesitated then went on his voice barely more than a whisper, "He marked me... again and again." He gave a mirthless laugh. "I guess it's a good thing that I didn't get hurt in the shootout. I would never have been able to explain the marks to Mister Jackson's satisfaction." 

"I reckon Nathan's seen passion bites before." 

"Perhaps but how would I explain them being all over my back without having to admit to being a 'pervert' who has sex with other men?" 

"Reckon Nathan's seen that, too, Ezra. Out here there aren't a lot of women. Man takes his pleasure and his comfort where he can." 

"Yes, well. Everything seemed fine, then we got back to town and the shootout occurred and I don't know what went wrong. Suddenly he was yelling at me and then in the saloon he wouldn't even... wouldn't even look at me and I... I needed him... needed him to hold me... like last night. It was the first time he ever stayed the whole night with me when we weren't on the trail.... Now it's like... he doesn't want me at all.... I... I don't understand." 

Chris found himself smiling, "Ezra," he leaned forward and caught the gambler's hands, "Did it ever occur to you that you might have scared him?" 

"What?" confused green eyes looked up at him, 

"You broke cover, Ezra. You walked out in the middle of the street in the middle of a shootout with bullets flying everywhere. If Vin had done that, what would you have done? You'd have given him hell, ripped him up one side and down the other for putting himself in danger, now, wouldn't you?" 

"Yes, of course... but I... I love him...." he trailed off as realization hit. His eyes went wide. "V-Vin loves me?" 

"Yeah." Chris grinned, "He asked me if Sarah ever did anything that scared me plumb blind and shitless. Then just before he passed out he said that he thought you were gonna die and he hadn't ever told you that he loved you." Chris bowed his head and looked down at the gambler's hands that he still held. "I don't know what he's going to do, but he does love you." 

"Thank you, Mister Larabee. I can't tell you how much it means to know that he loves me... even if he never tells me himself, at least I know... and knowing, I can give him all the time he needs to decide what he wants." 

Chris stood up, releasing Ezra's hands as he asked, "And if he decides he wants something else?" 

Ezra sat back in the rocker and looked up at Chris. "I never expected him to love me, Mister Larabee. I have always been prepared to let him go." 

Chris Larabee stood a moment longer looking down at the gambler then he nodded and walked out, closing the door behind him. He looked back at the door, "He's a damned fool if *he* lets *you* go, Ezra." 

He went down the stairs and hauled Vin's sorry ass over to the boardinghouse and dumped him on the bed in his room. Dropping into a chair beside the bed with a sigh he settled in to keep watch until his friend was once again able to look out for himself. 

*************************************************  
TBC


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hangovers and Conversations

*******

Morning came too early. Vin opened his eyes then squeezed them closed again. His mouth tasted like crap and his tongue felt furry. Hangover hell. The bounty on his head wasn't the only reason he seldom got drunk. He *hated* having a hangover. He rolled over on the bed and immediately regretted it. His stomach lurched and bile rose up in his throat. He managed to get his head over the edge of the bed before the vomit spewed out of him. 

His stomach knotted and he heaved again, not even aware that someone was holding a pan for him, until he felt the hand fall on his back and begin rubbing soothing circles there. 

"Take it easy, Cowboy. You got yourself one hell of a hangover." 

He registered that the voice was Chris' and managed to croak, "Ya'd know, being a' expert." 

Chris chuckled. "Yep. Been a while since I've had one this bad, though." 

Vin's groan was his only answer as the tracker let his head hang over the side of the bed. 

Chris moved the pan away so that the smell wouldn't make Vin heave again, if he wasn't going to, and asked, "Think you're finished?" 

"Fer now." Vin moaned and tried to roll back on the bed. 

Chris helped him, moving him slowly so as not to start him heaving again. 

Raising one arm enough to shield his eyes from some of the light Vin cracked one eye again, taking in the room that he was in. Larabee's room. 

Chris grinned at him, "How ya feeling?" 

"Head's fallin' off. Stomach's rollin'. Mouth tastes like shit. " 

Chris snorted a short laugh. "Sounds about right." He got up and poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the table. "Here, rinse your mouth then take sips." 

Vin started to nod then aborted the move as his head felt like it was going to explode. He rinsed his mouth and spit into a cup that Chris held for him. 

"If you think ya'll be all right for a minute, I'll go empty this pan. You're probably going to need it again." 

Vin grunted and Chris took that to be an affirmative and left to carry the pan downstairs and dump it out the back door. 

When he returned Vin was laying still on the bed, one arm still flung over his eyes to block the light. Chris went over to the window and hung a blanket over it. 

"Better?" 

"Yeah." Vin slowly moved the arm down to his side. 

"You remember much about last night?" 

"Naw. Did I do somethin' stupid?" 

Chris gave him an innocent look and asked, "You mean after you ripped off all your clothes and danced naked on the bar?" 

Vin sat up abruptly, all the color draining from his face. "NO!" 

The look of horror in his face broke Chris up. The gunslinger started laughing then broke off as Vin clutched at his stomach and turned to lean over the side of the bed. 

Grabbing the pan Chris got it back under Vin's head just in time as the bounty hunter retched again and again. 

Finally Vin was reduced to dry heaves and fell back on the bed. He wiped his mouth and snarled, "Damn ya, Larabee! Laughin' at a sick man!" 

Chris chuckled again. "Hell, you've had your share of teasing me when I was hung over. Just getting some back at you." He stood looking down at the tracker for a few minutes. "Here." He handed him the glass of water. "Rinse again. Try to sip some of it then go on back to sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up." 

"Ya staying?" 

"Josiah'll be by after a while. I'll go get some breakfast and check on the town then. But other than that, I'll be here till you wake up." 

"'kay," Vin muttered and lay back, happy to go back to sleep. 

"And then we'll have a little talk about what you said last night," Chris muttered. 

******* 

Ezra hadn't had a good night either. He hadn't gotten a lot of sleep before Chris had woke him up and he had slept fitfully afterwards. Still he was awake at the crack of dawn, sitting in the rocking chair, watching the sun come up. 

He loved sitting in the old rocking chair. He'd bought it from Mrs. Potter shortly after her husband had been killed, when she needed some money. He told himself that he'd just been helping the widow out, but he knew why he'd bought it. The chair was identical to one that had sat in his great aunt Yvonne's house in New Orleans. 

Great Aunt Yvonne had been a favorite relative. She had been one of the few who had enjoyed taking care of the young Ezra. A flamboyant woman with flashing black eyes and raven hair, only just beginning to go white at the temples, she had made life fun for him. She'd taught him French and introduced him to the works of Dumas and Voltaire in that language. He'd spent many a happy hour curled up in that rocking chair in her parlor reading about the adventures of the Musketeers or reading some of the more racy novels that he'd found in her well stocked library. 

The rocking chair reminded him of the happy summer he'd spent with her in her house on Bourbon Street with its walled garden where they would take afternoon brunch. Sunny days spent exploring the French quarter and the wide Mississippi River. Fresh crawfish, steaming hot, bought off a vendor in the street. Rainy afternoons spent in the parlor, rocking and reading. 

A safe haven in the turbulent life of an unwanted ten-year-old whose mother's new husband didn't want him around... not that that marriage had lasted long... just long enough for Maude to get her hands on the man's money. Strange, he couldn't even recall the man's name, but he could list the books on the bookshelf that 'Vonne had designated as his, as if he were looking at them. 

He sighed. Maude, of course, had not allowed him to keep a single one of the books when she had come for him. 

He let his hands glide over the arms of the rocker. He had this now and while he knew it wasn't the same rocker, it gave the same comfort and had become a safe haven in its own way. This was where he retreated to now when he was upset or worried. To sit and rock and think. 

He had a lot to think about. He loved Vin. He had known it for a long time but saying it aloud to Chris last night had somehow made it more real. Somehow, telling Chris had made it seem possible for he and Vin to actually make a life together. 

_What am I going to do?_ He drew the quilt he'd pulled off the bed closer around him and watched the sun rise over the trees east of town. 

_I'm going to stand my ground. I love him and I need him... but I'm not some porcelain doll. I have a job to do just like he does. He can't wrap me in cotton and keep me safe. He wouldn't stand for it, if I tried to treat him like that and I won't stand for him treating me like that. I will get on with my life. If Mister Tanner wants to be part of that life, he will meet me on my own terms._

He gave a sharp nod of his head. His decision was made. He might be Vin's lover but damned if he'd be dictated to! 

Rising he went about his morning ablutions, trying to ignore the marks of Vin's passion from the night in River Bend. 

He sat his hat on his head and adjusted the angle, checking his appearance in the mirror one last time, he strolled out the door and down the stairs. 

******* 

It was nearly midnight when Vin Tanner made his way slowly into the Standish Tavern. The hangover from hell had wiped him out completely. He felt utterly drained. His stomach ached, the muscles sore from heaving and his head still hurt. He headed for the seven's usual table seeing that everyone except he, Chris and Ezra were already there. 

Chris was right behind him and Ezra... Ezra was holding court at the poker table on the raised platform to the left of the long bar. It looked as if he'd hooked a couple of well-heeled businessmen into a game. Soon they would have empty pockets and Ezra would be well-heeled. 

He couldn't stop a smile at that thought. He was actually proud of Ezra's poker playing. Ezra seldom had to cheat to win, never mind what Nathan thought. Vin had watched Ezra enough to know that as a rule he didn't cheat. Not that he couldn't. Ezra could do things with a deck of cards that looked downright magical. He just didn't need to... unless he was playing with a cheat then he cheated in self-defense. 

Vin drew out a chair and sat down, facing the table where Ezra sat. He accepted a shot glass of whiskey and took a tentative sip, waiting to make sure it was not going to come back up before he took another slow sip. 

As Chris pulled out the chair next to him and sat down, Vin's eyes drifted back to Ezra. The gambler wasn't wearing his lucky red coat. He had on the deep green one with a green brocade vest shot through with silver threads. Vin couldn't see the pants, but Ezra usually wore black ones, either solid or pin striped. He'd have on the black boots too, polished to a high sheen. His hair was perfectly coifed and while his face looked a bit drawn he still looked very good. 

He saw Vin looking at him and lifted an eyebrow, giving Vin a small smile before dropping his eyes back to his cards. 

Vin couldn't help the warmth that spread through him at the smile. He found it hard to believe how much he liked just being near the gambler. Hell, just being in the same room with him lifted his spirits. He took another sip of the whiskey then sat the glass down. He wasn't going to get drunk again tonight. 

He and Chris had, had a long talk about what Vin had said the night before. Vin was embarrassed that he had admitted his feelings for the gambler even if it was to his best friend. He knew in his heart that Ezra should have been the first person to hear him say that he loved him. 

*******

Chris had been sitting beside the bed when Vin had awakened for the second time. 

"Feeling better?" the gunslinger asked. 

"Reckon. Ain't got the heaves at least," Vin said with a sigh. "Shit! I hate hangovers." 

"Well, if you get drunk, you can expect to be hungover," Chris replied mildly. 

Vin nodded wearily and tried to sit up. Damn! His ribs and stomach were sore. 

Chris let him struggle up on his own, knowing that the independent man wouldn't want his help... was probably embarrassed as hell that Chris had helped him before when he was vomiting. 

Chris motioned towards the dresser, "I got you some soup from the hotel dining room. Figured that'd be about all you could handle right now, and you need to eat something." 

"Thanks, Cowboy." Vin smiled wanly. The soup was still warm, and Chris had brought a couple of biscuits as well. Vin crumbled them into the soup and ate it slowly. 

When he was done, Chris took the bowl and sat it back on the dresser. Then he returned to sit in the chair beside the bed and regard Vin with a speculative look. 

"What?" Vin demanded, "I got food on my face?" 

"Nope." Chris paused a moment then said, "You want to talk about it?" 

"'Bout what?" Vin got a sinking feeling in his stomach and it knotted slightly. 

"You... and Ezra..." 

"What 'bout Ez?" 

"About you and Ezra." Chris shook his head seeing the stubborn look on Vin's face. "All right. Let me be a little clearer. About you being in love with Ezra." 

Vin's jaw dropped, "I... I... who said I's...?" 

"You said." 

"I said...? What'd I say?" Vin demanded belligerently. 

"That you were afraid that he was going be killed in the street yesterday and that you hadn't ever told him that you love him." 

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Vin rolled over, sitting up on the side of the bed. Rising he stumbled across the room and leaned his head against the wall, his shoulders hunched. After a long moment he asked, "Anybody else know?" 

"No." 

Vin sighed again and turned putting his back to the wall and slowly sliding down it to sit on the floor, "I don't know what ta do, Chris." 

"He loves you, too." 

Vin looked up at him. "How do you know?" 

"Josiah came in... I left him to look after you, while I had a little talk with Ezra." 

"And he said that..." 

"Enough to let you decide what you want... even if it means losing you." 

Vin stared down at the floor. After a long few minutes he said, "He scared me... bad. Don't know if I can take worrying bout him ever time we get into it with some..." he hesitated then with a grin said, "miscreants." 

Chris grinned at Vin's use of one of Ezra's words and thought fondly that the two men really did fit well together, like two halves of a whole. "You can't expect him to stay out of it. He's one of us just like you are. Do you think he doesn't worry about you?" 

"Ain't thought about that." 

"I think he worries but he cares enough not to try and change who you are, enough to respect your right to make your own decisions." He fell silent for a moment then decided to share a bit of his past. "You know, Sarah never asked me to hang up my guns. She knew that I could be killed but she also knew that it was just as dangerous for me walk around unarmed, not just because of my reputation but because out here a man has to be able and prepared to defend himself, his home and his family." 

Vin listened but said nothing for several minutes, when he did speak it was to go off on a tangent, "Why'd ya ask Ez to ride with us that day in the saloon?" 

Chris tilted his head to the side and considered the question for a long moment, "I'm not sure. I knew he cheated and at the same time I felt like he didn't have to cheat. I... felt that he could have made the shot without using blanks. He... I saw a dangerous man, a man with nerve and cunning, a man that I'd rather have with me than against me." 

"Cunnin'. That's just about the perfect word fer Ez. Smart as the devil, quicker'n a whip...." 

"And tougher than he looks. He won't take kindly to you trying to 'protect' him... no matter how much he loves you." 

"Yeah. Reckon he's right pissed at me fer yellin' at him in the street." 

"Oh, yeah. Real pissed." 

The two men shared a chuckle. 

"Reckon I need ta have a talk with him." 

"Reckon you do." 

*******

Vin gave a small shake of his head and pulled himself back to the present. The poker game was breaking up and Ezra was headed for their table. 

"Good evening, gentlemen... and I use the term loosely." Ezra smiled, taking the sting out of the words as he pulled out a chair and sat down. 

Josiah and Nathan gave him wordless nods in greeting. 

Buck grinned and said, "Ya skin those poor guys out, Ez?" 

"Not completely." Ezra smiled back. 

Vin grinned, "Now, Buck, ya know Ez always leaves his victims just enough money to make them think that next time...." he trailed off leaving them to fill in the blank. They all knew that Ezra never took all their money... unless they had pissed him off about something. 

"Indeed, everyone knows that one does not kill the sheep to get the wool. One shears the fleece, lets it grow back and shears it again. Ergo; the expression to fleece someone." Ezra grinned, flashing his gold tooth. He gave Vin a sharp look, "You look a bit worse for wear, Mister Tanner." 

"I'll survive. Just a bit of a hangover." 

"A bit?" Ezra raised a brow at him, clearing indicating that he believed that Vin had more than a bit of a hangover. 

"Vin got drunk last night!" JD put in, "Real drunk. I ain't ever seen him so drunk!" 

Vin gave the enthusiastic younger man a deadly glare. 

"Sorry," JD muttered. 

Silence fell in the wake of that. The seven men sat drinking quietly in the otherwise empty saloon. 

Then Vin looked over at Ezra with a sly grin, "So, how much did you win?" 

"Why do you ask, Mister Tanner? Do you need to borrow some money?" The gambler quirked an eyebrow at the tracker. 

"Could use five dollars," Vin said a grin playing around his lips. 

"Really?" Ezra was having a hard time keeping his own grin from breaking out. 

The others looked back and forth between the two men who were struggling to keep from laughing. 

"Yep," Vin said. 

Ezra's grin broke loose. Vin's matched it. 

"Well, I believe such a loan might possibly be negotiated," Ezra said as he stood up. "Perhaps we could discuss it in private...." 

Vin grinned and pushed back his chair to follow Ezra as he moved towards the stairs. 

"What's so damned funny about Vin needing to borrow five dollars?" JD asked in confusion. 

"Hell, since when does *Ezra* loan out money?" Buck added. 

"Why do they have to discuss it in private?" Nathan asked. 

"The Lord moves in mysterious ways," Josiah intoned. 

"What the hell does that mean?" JD demanded of the preacher. 

Chris and Josiah exchanged glances. 

"Means it ain't none of our business," Chris said. He stood. "I think I'm gonna call it a night." He nodded to the others and left. 

JD looked at the clock behind the bar and sighed, "Reckon I better go make rounds." 

Buck sat his beer down and rose, saying, "I'll go with ya, kid." 

Nathan and Josiah sat a bit longer then Nathan gave a sigh, "Reckon I better turn in. I need to go check on Mrs. Milan in the morning. Getting' nigh her time." 

Josiah nodded to him, "Want me to ride out with you? She's having a hard time with this one isn't she?" 

"Yeah. Lost the last'n. Sure would appreciate ya ridin' along, Josiah." 

"I'll meet you here for breakfast and we can ride out after." 

Nathan nodded. "Nite." 

"Good night, Brother Nathan." Josiah nodded to the black man and settled back in his chair his eyes going to the stairs. Two hours later he sighed and rose to leave, locking the doors to the saloon behind him. 

Vin had never come back down the stairs. 

******* 

Ezra unlocked the door to his room and pushed it open, waving Vin in before him, then stepping in behind the tracker. 

Vin turned to face him in the dimly lit room. Ezra had left the lamp on the bedside table lit, turned down low, preferring not to come back to a darkened room after a night at the tables. There was a slight smile on the tracker's face. 

Ezra smirked at him as he stepped close. Laying a hand on Vin's chest, stroking down it slowly. "So, Mister Tanner, do you really need to borrow five dollars?" 

"Nope. Wanted ta talk to ya... private like. Figured ya'd get the hint." 

Ezra chuckled and moved closer, "Oh, yes. I do believe, I 'got the hint'," he purred. 

Vin moved back a bit. "Uh-uh. Don't think ya did." He looked down into the gambler's eyes with a serious expression on his face. "Ah really need to talk to ya, Ez." 

Ezra moved abruptly away, tossing his hat onto the dresser he began to take off his coat. He bit out the words, "Fine. Talk." 

Vin let his head drop with a sigh. He hadn't meant to upset Ezra. "Ah'm gonna ride out for a couple of days. Need ta think a bit. Wanted ya to know. Didn't want ya ta be upset... or worried. Ah'm coming back, Ez. I... I just need some time.... Please... don't be mad at me.... Ez?" 

Ezra closed his eyes, listening to the hesitant voice. The image of a shy, scared little boy formed in his mind and he had to fight the urge to turn around and run to Vin, taking him in his arms to soothe and comfort him. When he had himself under control he turned to face his lover, asking in a casual voice, "When are you leaving?" 

"Daybreak." 

"You could sleep here...." Ezra offered, quietly, his eyes hopeful. 

Vin looked at him doubtfully. "I don't know, Ez. I..." 

"You don't have to _do_ anything, Vin. Just stay with me tonight." He watched the emotions playing across Vin's face then played his thump card, "In the months we've been together, Ah've nevah asked ya for anything, Mistah Tannah. Is this so much ta ask? To be _allowed_ to sleep in your arms, to have that memory to hold on to should you decide that we are finished." 

"Ah never said that Ah was thinkin'...." 

"You didn't have to. Why else would you make a point of telling me that you were riding out... to think. You ride out all the time. You've never made a point of telling me before... unless you wanted me to ride with you and you've made no mention of that." 

"Ez, I...." Vin took half a step towards the other man, uncertainty written in the motion. 

"Please?" 

The single word froze Vin. Ezra _had_ never asked anything of him in their relationship. He had always given, taking great care to attend to Vin's pleasure, and accepted whatever Vin chose to give back to him... however much that was... or however little it was. Vin swallowed hard. How could he deny Ezra this... when he truly did not know, if it would be their last night together. 

He held out his hand to Ezra, and nodded, a slow smile coming to his face. 

Ezra smiled back at him and stepped close, letting Vin draw him into a gentle embrace. 

For a long few minutes they just stood there, held in each other's arms, each lost in their own thoughts, both unaware that those thoughts were much the same. Two hearts beating in time. Two hearts aching with the same dull pain of loneliness... both together and yet each so very lost and alone. 

After a time they moved apart, each careful not to let the other see the depth of the emotions running through them. They stripped off their guns and laid them close at hand and took off their boots. Then by silent, mutual agreement they lay down on the soft feather bed fully clothed. 

Ezra lay on his left side, facing the door, his derringer rig still on his right arm. Vin spooned up behind him. The tracker's pistol was under his pillow, his mare's leg hanging from the bedpost close at hand. 

Vin draped his right arm across Ezra hugging him snugly, his right hand resting on top of Ezra's. He buried his face in Ezra's hair. 

"Good night, Mister Tanner," Ezra murmured. His calm voice gave no hint of the agony he felt. 

"Nite, Ez," Vin whispered back, his own heart breaking. 

Ezra lay perfectly still as silent tears dripped from his tightly closed eyes to dampen his pillow. This could well be the last time that he would ever be in Vin's arms. He felt as if his heart were being torn apart. 

******* 

The pale light of dawn was just beginning to lighten the room when Vin awoke. He sleepily nuzzled the neck of body he held close and smiled as Ezra's scent filled his nostrils. 

His hand gently caressed the gambler's. He threaded his fingers between Ezra's twining them together with the other man's. Only half awake, he snuggled closer. 

Ezra stirred at Vin's movements, pressing back to feel the tracker's morning erection press against his buttocks. He sighed gently. 

Vin heard the sigh and gave a small tug on the hand twined with Ezra's. 

Ezra obligingly turned towards him and Vin continued to nuzzle his neck, working his way up to the delicate lobe of the gambler's ear. 

Ezra moaned softly as Vin shifted to lay atop him, claiming his mouth in a deep kiss. Ezra moaned again and reached up to pull Vin closer. 

Ezra's arms tightening around him, brought Vin fully awake. He drew back, blushing slightly, embarrassed that he had initiated lovemaking without even being aware of it. "Mornin'." 

Ezra grinned up at him, "And a very good morning it is, Mister Tanner." His hands stroked slowly, sensuously up and down Vin's back. 

"Ez, I..." Vin stammered. 

Disappointment flared in Ezra's eyes. "You don't want to finish what you started," he stated flatly. 

"Sorry, Ez... but I really think I oughtta go," but he didn't move. 

Ezra's smile faded. His poker face slid into place, "Then might I suggest that it might facilitate your departure, if you were to GET THE HELL OFF ME!" 

He punctuated the snarled demand with a twist and shove that dumped Vin not only off of him but also off of the bed. 

Vin hit the floor with a THUMP and let out a yelp. He lay still for a moment. _Shit! That went over real well._ He sat up and looked over at Ezra. 

The gambler had turned on his right side, facing away from Vin. 

With a loud sigh, Vin said, "Ez, I'm sorry." 

"Get out, Mister Tanner!" Ezra never even moved but his voice left no room for argument, "And don't come back until you know what the hell you want!" 

Vin stood up slowly and began gathering his things as Ezra lay in a huddle on the bed, refusing to even look at him. 

When he was dressed he started for the door then turned back, stepping close to the bed he reached out a hand to lay it on Ezra's shoulder, "Ez---" 

The gambler flipped over to face him sitting up so fast that Vin jumped back... and found himself looking down the barrel of Ezra's derringer as the gambler sat up on the edge of the bed. 

The gambler's eyes were hard and deadly, "Ah said, get out! Mister Tanner! Do you have a hearing problem?" 

Vin stumbled backwards, shaking his head. "No... ah heard ya... I just... I wanted ta say... bye, Ez...." 

"Goodbye, Mister Tanner," the voice dripped ice. 

Vin nodded, backing to the door, he yanked it open and stepped out. Pulling it closed behind him he leaned back against it. This was not the way he'd wanted to part from Ezra. 

Inside the room Ezra mechanically returned the derringer to its place in the rig then leaning forward on the edge of the bed, he rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. This was not the way he'd wanted to part from Vin. 

******* 

Vin was grateful that there was no one around to witness his foul mood as he stomped his way to the livery. He threw his saddlebags over the side of Peso's stall and grabbed the saddle blanket. 

As he went to throw it over Peso's back the horse turned his head and gave him a baleful look. 

"Don't start with me, mule! I ain't in no mood fer yer shenanigans!" he snarled and the horse turned his head around and stood still. 

Peso knew when to give his 'daddy' trouble and when not to. The snarly tone told him this was not a good morning to try his daddy's patience. He raised his head and sniffed the air. He could smell another man's scent. Chaucer's daddy. He liked Chaucer. The chestnut had shown him how to open his stall door. He'd shown Chaucer how to untie his reins. His daddy had been spending a lot of time with Chaucer's daddy lately. Usually his daddy was in a good mood when he smelled like Chaucer's daddy. Was something wrong? 

Vin finished saddling the black and led him out. 

Peso snuffled at Vin's back. He definitely smelled like Chaucer's daddy. Usually when he had this much of Chaucer's daddy's scent on him, the other man and Chaucer would be riding out with them. He turned his head to look back at Chaucer. He gave a soft whiny. _{Where's your daddy. Isn't he coming?}_

Chaucer gave a snort and stamped in his stall. _{I don't know. I want to go.}_ He kicked the stall door and tossed his head. 

Vin mounted up and rode off down the street. 

Chaucer kicked his stall door again and hung his head, pouting. _{I wanted to go.}_

******* 

After Vin left, Ezra sat on the side of the bed for a long few minutes. Then knowing that he would not get back to sleep with his thoughts and emotions in the turmoil that they were he gave a deep sigh and went to sit in the rocking chair, gazing out the window. 

The sun was just coming up. He shook his head ruefully. Two days in a row that he'd been up to see the sun rise. A truly unusual occurrence. He seldom saw sunrise... unless it was at the end of a long night at the tables or because he was on the trail with the other peacekeepers... and even then they tended to let him sleep as long as possible before waking him, not wanting to deal with his surly early morning personality. 

He saw Vin lead Peso out of the livery and mount up. The tracker rode down the street, stopping once at the jail to speak with the dark clad gunfighter sitting there. Then with a final glance up at Ezra's window he turned Peso's head and rode out of town. 

Ezra watched until Vin rode around the bend in the road and was lost to his sight. Sitting back in the rocking chair he thought about what had happened between them. The look on Vin's face, as he'd found himself staring down the barrel of Ezra's derringer, haunted him. Shock.... Disbelief.... Fear...? 

Would Vin even bother coming back after that? 

_Yes. He'll be back... if only for Larabee and the others._ The tracker's sense of honor wouldn't let him just keep riding. 

_Perhaps, it would be best, if I were not here when he returns. He is after all the reason that I stay... isn't he?_ ] 

The gambler's gaze was drawn back to the dark figure sitting on the porch to the jail. 

_Chris Larabee._ The man had given him a second chance. Had given him the chance to prove that he could be trusted, when he had already proven that he couldn't be. He hadn't even asked for an explanation, just fixed him with that icy green glare and snarled, 'Don't *ever* run out on me again!' 

A tall broad figure strode up the street and stopped to speak with Chris before moving on to enter the saloon below Ezra. 

_Josiah Sanchez._ The large ex-preacher had taken an almost fatherly interest in Ezra. Try as he would to deny it, Ezra enjoyed the attention. He could not remember his own father. Didn't even have a picture of him. Perhaps Maude did but she had never chosen to share it with him... had never answered any of his questions regarding his father. It had been Josiah that he had chosen to confide in when he could no longer deal with his feelings for Vin alone... and Josiah hadn't judged him, as he'd feared the ex-priest would. 

He could hear the deep rumble of Josiah's voice in the saloon beneath him. A light feminine voice responded. He closed his eyes and focused on the voices. He still couldn't understand the words, but he did recognize the woman's voice. 

_Inez.,_ Beautiful, vivacious, capable, Inez. _Why couldn't I have fallen for her? We'd be a good match. She's a strong woman, smart and tough. I'd need a strong woman to keep my baser instincts in check._ But he'd already met Vin before she came into his life... and Vin had already stolen his heart... and then there was Buck. 

The tall gunslinger had taken one look at Inez and lost his heart. He'd almost died in a sword fight to protect her from the arrogant bastard that she had fled from. 

_Buck Wilmington._ Big-hearted, good humored, Buck Wilmington. How had someone so different from the grim Chris Larabee stayed friends with the man for so long? Because he was loyal... loyal to a fault. Ezra enjoyed the smiling man's company. He could always cheer the gambler up... especially when he was horsing around with JD. 

_JD Dunne._ The youngest of their group. He actually seemed to look up to Ezra, another thing that no one had ever done before. He was young and enthusiastic. His every emotion played across his face for the world to see. He pestered Ezra constantly to teach him how to win at poker but his very openness, which was what made him so likable, was his worst enemy at the poker table. He simply could not hide what he felt. If he liked you, you knew it... and he liked Ezra. Sighing Ezra admitted to himself that he liked JD as well. Hell, he loved him... like a kid brother. 

He glanced back out the window. Gloria Potter was sweeping off the boardwalk in front of her general store. _If I leave, who will do her books for her?_

Missus Potter had no knowledge or skill at bookkeeping. Her husband had done all the paperwork necessary for running the store until his untimely demise. She'd been in a quandary until Ezra had discovered, quite by accident, that she didn't have a clue how to deal with the books. A bargain had been struck and Ezra had begun doing the books for her... and trying without a great deal of success to teach her to do them herself. 

Amelia Potter raced past her mother and out into the street with her brother Josh chasing after her. _Amy._ She'd be up after lunch to sweep out his room, make his bed, dust and straighten up for him. He paid her a small fee to do so. The wildflowers she often left in a small vase on his dresser had never been part of the bargain, they had just begun appearing one bright spring day. 

_Josh._ He'd bring the water up for Ezra's bath later. Again a bargain that had been struck. Ezra paid more for his bath than the bathhouse charged but he didn't have to bear the indignity of having to share with other patrons. The folding tub under his bed was his alone... well, except for the two occasions when he'd shared it with Vin. 

Mrs. Travis came out of the Clarion's office, Billy right behind her. She ruffled the young boy's hair then sent him off to play... probably with the Potter children. 

_Mary Travis._ The brave woman's courage in facing down a lynch mob had been the catalyst for the formation of their little group. Chris Larabee and Vin Tanner had seen the incident and been inspired to stop the lynching... the attempted lynching of Nathan Jackson. 

_Nathan._ The colored healer always left Ezra with confused feelings. The man didn't seem to like him. Ezra's profession was an affront to his sensibilities. Still he never hesitated to reach out to help when Ezra was injured. He supposed that was a lot to ask that an ex-slave and southern 'gentleman' not have conflicts. That had been Ezra's reason for his original refusal to ride with the others. He hadn't been certain that he could trust Nathan not to shoot him in the back just because he was a white southerner... but Nathan thought that Ezra had refused because he was a bigot who hated Nathan purely because of the color of his skin. 

_If I stay on here, sooner or later I am going to have to address that misunderstanding._

With a sigh, Ezra realized that Vin was far from the only thing keeping him here. Somehow his life had become entwined with the town's. Even though he could easily wire Judge Travis and simply resign from his position as one of the peacekeepers, he could never just ride off and forget about this town. 

_'That's what you get, Ezra, for staying in one place too long, for caring about other people. I thought I taught you better than that.'_ His mother's voice echoed in his mind. 

_You did, Mother. You did. Fortunately these people have taught me differently._

He smiled to himself and stood up. He might as well go downstairs and have breakfast, after all, he had a busy day ahead. 

It was the end of the month. He needed to do the books for Mrs. Potter... and check over the saloon accounts for Inez. She was much better at doing the books for the saloon than Mrs. Potter was at doing the books for the store, but she still occasionally made mistakes. Ezra had started 'auditing' the books for her at the end of each month when he'd walked in on her struggling to find an error she had made in the accounts. She'd been swearing fluently in Spanish and English at the time. 

After that he should check in with Mrs. Travis, see how the paper was doing, he was an investor now. He'd offered to finance the new press after the old one had broken down... for a percentage of the ownership of the paper. (The bank had refused Mrs. Travis a loan, saying that the paper wasn't profitable enough for her to be able to repay the loan.) He would not, of course, interfere with Mrs. Travis' running of the paper but as an investor he certainly had the right to know what was going on... besides Vin had given him permission to have several of his poems printed in the paper, at his leisure. He could drop one off. 

After that it would be time for lunch. He'd stop at the hotel dining room. The new cook was quite good. Then it would be time to relieve Mister Larabee at the jail. There were still four prisoners there, so someone had to be there all the time until they went to trial... and the Judge wouldn't be back in town until the end of next week. 

******* 

Vin rode Peso down the street from the livery. He saw Chris sitting on the porch to the jail. Reining the big black in he leaned on the saddle horn and spoke to the gunslinger. "I'm ridin' out fer a while." 

"How long?" 

"A day or two... shouldn't be more'n that." 

"Ezra know?" 

Vin looked down at the ground. "Yeah... he knows." 

Chris studied the other man a moment. He looked very unhappy. "Vin?" 

Vin looked up, reading Larabee's expression, "He weren't happy. Had a bit of a fuss." 

Chris nodded. Vin hated 'a fuss'... and Ezra... well to put it mildly the man could 'fuss' with the best of them. 

"I'll be back," Vin said as if the gunslinger needed to reassurance. 

Chris nodded, "Know you will." 

Vin straightened in the saddle and touched his hat brim. As he turned the horse and rode on down the street he looked up at the window of Ezra's room over the saloon. He could see the gambler sitting staring out the window, watching him ride away. 

A chill went through him. How many times had Ezra sat and watched... or stood and watched as someone he loved left him behind. He had to resist the impulse to stop Peso in front of the saloon and rush inside to the gambler, take him in his arms and promise him that he'd never leave him... but he needed to think this through... needed to be sure that that was what he wanted. It'd hurt Ezra worse if he said that now, then changed his mind later. He needed to be sure... real sure... for Ezra's sake. He didn't want to be just one more person who'd let the gambler down. 

He turned Peso off the main road and gave the horse his head. He didn't have any place in particular in mind to go. He'd just needed the peace and quiet away from town to think. 

Quite some time later Peso came to a stop and stood patiently waiting for Vin to notice. 

After a moment Vin gave himself a shake and looked around. They were at the river. A small clearing opened up before them, the stones for a campfire lay almost dead center of the clearing, a couple of huge old pecan trees stood sentry on either side of the clearing. The river was placid, here... and shallow. It was a good place to cross. A good place to camp. 

It was where he'd had sex with Ezra for the first time. 

"Why'd ya bring me here, boy?" Vin asked the big black as he stepped out of the saddle. 

He loosened the cinch on the saddle and led Peso over to let him drink his fill of the water. Leaving the horse ground hitched at the riverbank where he could graze and drink, Vin walked back into the campsite and sat down on an overturned tree trunk. 

*******

Looking towards the river he remembered that night. They'd taken a prisoner to Ridge City, a three-day ride there and back. On the return trip it'd been just him and Ezra. The gambler had been complaining long and loud about having to rough it, particularly about the dust and grime that 'permeated' (Ezra's word) everything from their horses to his underwear. 

Vin had gotten tired of hearing it. It'd been about an hour before sundown when they'd forded the stream and he'd reached over and shoved Ezra off Chaucer, dumping him in the river. The gambler had come up sputtering and furious. He'd splashed after Vin swearing and grabbed his leg, pulling him off of Peso and throwing him in the water. 

They'd gotten to wrestling in the water and somehow... somehow Vin had ended up lying on top of the gambler in the shallow water, looking down into green eyes that were by that time laughing as their breathless owner looked up at him. The gambler had been so beautiful... and they had both been aroused. 

It happened so fast that Vin still wasn't sure just how it happened. One minute he'd been looking down into those eyes and the next he'd been kissing the man... and Ezra had kissed him back, eagerly... hungrily. They hadn't even taken their clothes off the first time, (Hell, they hadn't even gotten out of the water!) just bucking against each other, clinging together as they rubbed their cocks against each other, through their clothes, until they came. 

Spent but only partially sated he had lain atop the gambler in the shallow water as they had regained their breath and waited for Ezra to push him off... and shoot him. Instead when he had finally lifted his head from Ezra's shoulder to look into the green eyes he had seen only amusement there, accompanied by a pleased smile. 

_Ezra chuckled softly. His hand drifted down Vin's chest in a sensuous caress. "Perhaps next time you wish to ravish me, we could divest ourselves of our accouterments," he drawled, "I find it increases the pleasure exponentially."_

_Vin looked at him with puzzled eyes, "Huh?"_

_Ezra laughed out loud. "It's *bettah* when we're *naked*, Mistah Tannah!" Ezra translated with a wicked gleam in his eye. "Not to mention that the odds of our accidentally shooting one another, while rolling around on top of each other, is greatly reduced by taking off our guns."_

_Vin laughed too, then and struggled to his feet offering Ezra a hand up._

_Ezra took the hand and once on his feet leaned in close to Vin, his hands reaching to caress Vin's chest, "So, would you care to get naked with me, Mistah Tannah... or did this little tryst satisfy all your needs?"_

_Vin's answer had been to pull Ezra close and kiss him as he tugged at the gambler's soaked clothing. After a moment he'd drawn back and grinned at the other man, "Reckon we ought ta get outta these wet things." He leaned back a bit, letting his hands continue to stroke Ezra's back as he added, "We ought ta set up camp 'fore dark."_

__Ezra nodded and started to pull away._ _

__

__

_Vin had pulled him back. "I do wanna..." he grinned at the gambler, "...'get naked' with you, Ez... wanna take mah time. Iffn we set up camp and fix supper first... then we'll have all night."_

_Ezra had leaned back against him and gazed up at him, the smile returning to his face. "Ah like how you think, Mistah Tannah," he drawled._

_And they had, had all night... they'd spent it exploring each other, slowly and thoroughly._

*******

Vin jumped to his feet and stalked over to Peso. He tightened the cinch back up and swung into the saddle. "Damn mule!" he groused, "bringing me here!" 

He pulled the horse's head around more roughly than he was usually wont to do and kneed him into motion. This time he had a destination in mind. 

It was lunchtime when Vin rode Peso into Nettie Wells' yard and swung down by the water trough. He loosened Peso's cinch again and headed for the house. 

Nettie had heard the horse and come out on the porch with her old Spencer Carbine to see who it was. She smiled at him, "Vin Tanner. What brings you out this way?" She looked past him as if expecting to see someone else but didn't say anything more. 

"I's just ridin' a bit. Thought I'd stop by and see if ya had any peach pie..." He grinned at her. Everybody knew that Vin loved peaches and Nettie doted on the young tracker. 

She chuckled, "Nope." Then grinning at the disappointed look on his face she said, "Got a peach *cobbler* though." 

Vin's laugh lightened her heart. 

He slipped an arm around her shoulders and walked her back into the house, taking the Carbine from her and standing it in its regular place near the door. 

As he sat at the table and Nettie fixed him a plate of food, telling him he had to eat the rest of the meal before he got dessert, Casey came in. 

"Hi, Vin!" She greeted him with a smile and hug and innocently asked, "Where's Ezra?" 

Vin looked up freezing with a spoon full of stew halfway to his mouth. "Ez?" 

"Yeah. He ain't sick is he?" She saw how Vin was looking at her and stammered, "I just thought... I mean... he's always with ya... I just wondered... if he... was okay...." She trailed off looking to Nettie for some explanation of why she shouldn't have asked Vin about Ezra. 

Nettie just shook her head. 

Vin set the spoon of stew back down in the bowl. 

Casey began stammering an apology, "I'm sorry, Vin I didn't mean ta be nosy... I just..." 

"Ya was just worried 'bout Ez," Vin finished for her. "Ya got ever right ta be. He's yer friend, too." He looked down at the bowl in front of him. "Reckon ya'll've kinda got used ta seein' us together, huh?" 

"Well, yeah. I mean ya ain't been out here without Ez in months. I thought maybe something had happened to him... but then I thought... ya wouldn't have left'm iffn he was sick... or hurt.... Would ya?" 

"No... no, I wouldn't have left'm iffn he was sick... or hurt." He looked up and saw Casey looking at him expectantly and realized that he still hadn't answered her original question. He smiled at her, but there was sadness in his eyes. "Me'n Ez had us a bit of a... disagreement. That's all." 

"Oh." Casey said then looked at his again, "But ya'll are still friends... right?" 

He didn't look at her as he said, "'Course we are." 

Nettie saw Casey open her mouth to continue the conversation and broke in, "You go get washed up, girl. Your food's getting cold." 

Casey knew from the look on her aunt's face that she wasn't to keep asking Vin questions. 

After lunch, Vin went out to sit in the rocking chair on the porch, He just sat, staring off into space. 

Nettie left Casey to do the dishes and went out on the porch taking the chair next to the rocker, "You want to talk about it, son?" She asked quietly. 

He turned to look at her, "Ya always know when I got somethin' preyin' on mah mind, don'tcha?" 

She just sat back in the chair and waited for him to start talking or not as he chose. 

After a long moment he asked, "Did ya love your husband, Nettie." 

"Thought I did," she replied shortly, not sure where he was headed with the question but determined to answer him honestly. 

"What happened?" 

"We married young, too young maybe. I was just fifteen... Andrew was seventeen. We came west after our first son was born. Turned out it was a mistake for Andrew..." 

"Ya told me that he didn't like it out here." 

"Yes, well after our third child was born, Andrew up and left... went back east. I refused to go with him. I liked it out here." 

"Is he still alive?" 

She shrugged, "Don't know... don't really care. Haven't heard from him in years." 

"When you... love somebody... how do you know if it will last?" 

"Don't reckon there's anybody that can answer that question." 

He turned and gave her a puzzled look. 

She sighed and reached over to take his hand. "Life don't come with a guarantee, son. Neither does love. Ya gotta grab hold of love when you find it and hang on to it just as long as ya can."

She smiled at him, "I don't regret a minute that I spent with Andrew... and I don't regret lettin' him go. Bible says ever thing's got a season." 

"A time to sow and a time to reap...." 

She leaned over hugged him, "A time to love... and a time to let go... just don't let go till ya know it's time... and you will know, Vin, you will know." 

He stared down at the floor, then finally he raised his head and gazed off in the distance, "Nettie," he said softly, "Ya know that I lived with the Indians..." 

"I know." 

"Ain't got much book learning... don't know much about the Bible..." He fell silent for a few minutes then went on, "The Indians... they believe that the spirit... the soul ain't male or female... and that when you love someone your spirits are joined together. So it don't matter if the bodies those spirits... fill... are male and female, or male and male, or female and female... cause it's the spirit inside that you love." 

Nettie asked softly, "Are you trying to tell me that you think you're in love with another man?" 

He turned to look at her and the fear in his eyes stabbed her in the heart. 

"Oh, Vin!" she whispered. 

His eyes filled with despair. "Do ya hate me, Nettie? Do I disgust ya? Wantin' ta be with another man?" he asked. 

She sat back in the chair and let her head lean back, after a long moment she said, "Are you sure that you love him? That it ain't just... that ya been alone for so long?" 

"I been with women, Nettie. I even thought I loved a couple of them... ain't no woman ever made me feel like he does. He makes me feel alive... makes me laugh. Just bein' near'm makes me feel... content... like ever thing's all right... just cause he's there. He makes me feel... complete." 

After a long silence she said, "I can't hate you, Vin Tanner... you're a good man. If he makes you that happy then..." she took a deep breath, "...then I'm happy for ya." She hesitated then leaned over and hugged him and whispered in his ear, "You tell that fancy man, that if he ever hurts you, he'll be looking down the barrel of my old Spencer Carbine." 

He turned and stared at her, "Nettie, I never said it was Ezra." 

She reached over and stroked his hair. "I got eyes, boy. You been mooning over that man worse'n Casey does over JD! Hell, remember when you brought him out here to 'help' you fix my roof...? You're up there hammering away, sweating in the hot sun and he's just lying there on the roof, reading to you in that honey sweet voice of his and you're grinning like a baboon and you think I ain't supposed to notice that you're besotted with the man?" 

"Damn, Nettie, why didn't ya never say nothin'?" 

"Weren't my place." She sighed, "I thought maybe you'd get over him... but I reckon you just fell deeper in." 

After a long minute he looked deep into her eyes, "He ain't what everybody thinks he is. He hides real good... most folks can't see past that poker face...." 

"But you're a tracker, a man who hunted men... you have to be able to see more than most. So what do you see in him?" 

"He's got a good heart. There ain't no pure meanness in him. He acts like he don't care but... he does... he cares a lot. Ya ought ta see him with kids... he's a wonder with'em. Ain't no quicker way to get on Ezra's bad side than to hurt a kid... or a woman... or an animal. Reckon the first clue I had that he weren't as bad as he tried to pretend was how good he treated that horse of his... Damn horse is spoiled rotten. Loves him to death. Kids and animals... they know when somebody's bad and I ain't seen a kid or animal yet that didn't take to Ez. Hell, even Peso likes him. He's a good man. Better'n most folks think." 

"Does he love you?" 

"Yeah... I think he does...." 

"You think he does?" 

"Ya know I ain't much for words, Nettie. We ain't talked." He looked back out over the vista, "...but I think maybe it's time we did." 

She stood up and looked down at him. "Sooner started, sooner finished," she said quietly. 

He stood up and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek," Thanks, Nettie... and tell Casey that ever thing's gonna be all right." He turned and headed for his horse, eager to return to town. 

TBC


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decisions and promises.

*******

It wasn't even sundown when Vin rode back into town. He grinned and waved at Chris sitting out in front of the saloon but didn't stop there.

After he stabled Peso, he stopped by his wagon then headed straight for the bathhouse. Buck would be relieving Ezra at the jail just after sundown and he wanted to be bathed and changed and waiting on the jailhouse porch when Ezra came out.

He didn't want Ezra getting to the saloon before he had a chance to see him. The man could be plumb single-minded when he sat down at the poker table... and Vin didn't want Ezra distracted tonight.

He took special care with his dressing, He wore his second pair of buckskin pants, along with the turquoise blue shirt that Ezra had bought him saying that it matched his eyes. 

He was sitting in the chair on the jail house porch when Buck came over to relieve Ezra. 

"Hey, pard," the jovial cowboy greeted him, "thought Chris said ya rode out fer a couple of days."

"Come back," Vin replied leaning back in the chair, not even trying to hide the grin on his face. Hell, why shouldn't he be grinning? He was in love and not only that, but he _knew_ for certain that the two most important people in his life, Chris and Nettie, were happy that he'd found someone... even if it was an unusual relationship. 

"That was quick, you generally stay out a couple a'days at least," Buck said, trying to figure out why Vin looked so happy now. He'd really tied one on just a couple of nights before and he'd looked real unhappy when Buck had seen him ride out that morning, now here he was grinning like his face was gonna crack.

"Needed ta think... got done." Vin looked up at him with eyes that sparkled with happiness and good humor.

"Well, glad to see you looking happier." Buck clapped him on the shoulder and went on in to tell Ezra that he could go.

Vin was on his feet when Ezra came out the door.

The gambler called back to Buck from the doorway, "I've already had to tell that miscreant in the cell by himself that if he did not keep his filthy mouth shut I would gag him. Please do so if he continues to spew forth vile comments."

Buck's laugh and booming, "Be glad to, Ez!" came from inside.

Ezra pulled the door to and turned to leave, coming face to face with Vin.

The tracker's smile faltered a bit at the cold look and raised brow that Ezra favored him with, but he managed to say, "Hey, Ez."

"You have returned from your excursion, somewhat earlier than I had anticipated."

"Didn't need as much time as ah thought ah might." Vin shifted uneasily then taking a deep breath he thrust out his hand with a folded bit of paper in it, "Wrote this...."

Ezra took the paper and looked up at Vin questioningly.

"Read it... Please, Ez."

Ezra carefully unfolded the paper and looked down at it.

******* *******

__

Ezra

Emerald eyes

Neath winter's skies

Hold promises of spring

For a frost bit heart

That dares not

Of love's warmth to dream.

******* *******

He felt his heart quicken as he read the carefully written words. He wasn't a hundred percent sure that he knew exactly what they meant but he _knew_ it was a love poem, a love poem written for him by Vin. The name at the top left no doubt about that. He was fighting back tears as he said, "It's... it's beautiful but exactly what does it mean?"

"Means I want a chance, Ez. A chance to spend the rest of my life with yer love keeping my heart warm."

Ezra stood there, staring down at the poem. He wanted to believe that but... he had to know one thing. "Why did you leave this morning?"

Vin shifted uneasily then giving Ezra a serious look he asked, "Ya ever had frostbite?"

Ezra looked exasperated, "No, Mister Tanner, I attempt to avoid inclement weather whenever I can... but what has that to do with--" he broke off and glanced back down at the poem, raising a brow at Vin he asked, "frost bit heart?"

"Yeah. Thing with frost bite is that after a while yer get numb... it stops hurting... till ya get somewhere warm and start thawing out... then it hurts like hell. Feels like somebody's sticking red hot needles in ya."

He looked down into Ezra's eyes. "My heart's been alone in the cold for a long time, Ez. I was afraid ta care that much... right from the start... then Charlotte, she damn near froze my heart solid but you was there to warm me... thaw my heart out. Then when I realized what was happening, how much I love ya... I got scared, Ez. Started thinkin' about all the 'what ifs' and how bad I could get hurt if things didn't work out..."

"Then why come back?"

Vin smiled at him, "Cause Ez, when ya got frost bite, ya gotta get warm and thaw it out or ya'll lose the... 'appendage'?" He looked at Ezra see if he'd used the word correctly.

When Ezra nodded, he went on, "I don't wanna stay out in the cold no more. Don't wanna go on living with a froze heart. I wanna love you. I want ya ta love me..." he trailed off the question in his eyes clear.

Ezra stepped closer, looking up into the beautiful blue eyes, eyes filled with hope and love... love for him, and answered the unspoken question. "I love you, Vin Tanner. More than I thought I could ever love anyone." He almost leaned in to kiss the tracker then remembered where they were and glanced around, to see if anyone was watching them.

Vin smiled at him, "I know we gotta be careful. Lotta folks don't take to the idea of two men being in love...." He grinned suddenly, "We could go up the back stairs ta yer room...." 

Ezra chuckled. "Indeed we could. Shall we, Mister Tanner?" He turned making a sweeping gesture for Vin to go first.

As Vin stepped off the porch he grinned and as he passed Ezra, said in a perfect imitation of the gambler's accent, "Indeed we shall, Mister Standish." 

Ezra's soft chuckle sent warm tingles along his spine as the gambler followed him across the street, angling for the alley beside the saloon.

Chris Larabee, who was still sitting on the saloon porch reached up and tipped his hat to the two grinning men as they ducked passed him and into the alley. "Evenin'... boys," he greeted them with a grin.

"Mister Larabee." Ezra reached up to give him his usual two-fingered salute.

"Chris," Vin did, likewise, almost running into Ezra who had stopped in front of him to salute Chris.

Ezra started chuckling again as Vin's hands caught at his waist to steady them. Then the two men were hurrying on down the alley.

Chris leaned back in his chair and surveyed the street. Everything looked quiet. Laughter drifted back down the alley.

He grinned. _Ah, to be young and in love._

His gaze was drawn to the light in the window of the Clarion. Smiling he stood up and strolled across the street towards it. Wasn't all that bad to be old and in love either.

Mary looked up and smiled as the bell on the door announced his arrival.

*******

Ezra batted at Vin's hands with one hand while he tried to get the key in the keyhole of his door with the other. "Mister Tanner!" he said, trying without much success to sound stern. "This would be much easier if you could behave with a modicum of dignity!"

Vin continued laughing as his hands roamed over Ezra's body and he moved even closer to rub himself against Ezra's back.

Finally with a laugh, Ezra twisted away from him and shoved the key into his hands. "Here! You open the door!"

Vin tried to recapture him, but Ezra grabbed his shoulders and turned him towards the door, "Now, Mister Tanner. The sooner you get it open the sooner we can get inside."

Vin finally relented and opened the door, turning back to grab Ezra and pull him into the room. He kicked the door closed behind them and backed Ezra towards the bed. He pushed Ezra down on the bed and fell on top of him. He gazed down into the loved filled depths of the emerald eyes. "God, I love ya, Ez," he whispered softly.

Ezra looked up at him, smiling, "I shall never tire of hearing those words... nor of saying these: *I* love you, Mister Tanner." He reached up to brush soft fingertips across Vin's cheek.

Vin turned his head and planted a light kiss in the palm of the hand that had caressed him, then murmured, "I wanna make love to ya, Ez. Wanna make love ta ya all night long and wake up with ya in my arms... where ya belong."

"Oh, yes, Vin!"

"Let's get outta these things. Wanna see ya, every inch a'ya." Vin stood pulling Ezra to his feet and reaching to remove the gambler's gunbelt.

Ezra trembled at the touch and leaned into the tracker, resting one hand on the other man's shoulder as Vin bent down to release the tie that held the gunbelt to his thigh.

Vin's fingers trailed along Ezra's thigh and across his stomach to the buckle of Ezra's gunbelt, drawing a sharp in breath from Ezra as they brushed across his straining cock.

Vin carefully reached around Ezra's hips, keeping the gambler in the circle of his arms as he removed the weapon, passing one end of the gunbelt from one hand into the other hand, which held the other end.

He leaned in and brushed his lips lightly over Ezra's, "Don't move. I wanna undress ya." 

He stepped back and buckled the belt, moving away from Ezra to hang it on the bedpost where it would be close at hand.

Returning to Ezra, he ran a hand in a long slow caress down the front of Ezra's body from throat to waist, before reaching for the lapels of Ezra's red coat and carefully pushing it off the gambler's shoulders. He took the time to walk all the way over to the valet and carefully hang the coat up, smirking at the impatient little whimper that escaped Ezra as he again walked away from him.

He was deliberately drawing it out, taking his time. Ezra had once spent hours just teasing him, bring him almost off then stopping. He'd told a very frustrated Vin that anticipation was half the fun. Well Vin intended to give Ezra a taste of his own medicine.

Noting that for some reason Ezra wasn't wearing his shoulder holster, he decided that the next item that he would remove would be the derringer rig. He took Ezra's hand in his and lifted it to his lips kissing the palm, eliciting a soft moan from Ezra. He reached to unbuckle the straps while carefully laving Ezra's fingers with his tongue.

As he moved away again, to lay the derringer rig on the dresser, Ezra groaned and turned to watch him.

"Now, what'd I tell ya about moving?"

"This is torture, Mister Tanner," Ezra chided.

Vin laughed giving him a puzzled look, "But... ya told _me_... anticipation is half the fun," he said innocently.

"Damn! I knew that would come back to haunt me," Ezra swore but the smile and the twinkle in his eye belied the words.

Vin moved back to the gambler and drew one finger along the same line that his hand had caressed before, from throat to waist, "Ya tellin' me ya can't take it?"

"Ah can take it," Ezra's voice was heavy with arousal and his accent thickened. His eyes were heavy lidded and his pupils so dilated that there was just a thin ring of emerald around them.

"Good," Vin said, "cause we got all night and ah'm planning on ya doin' a lot of anticipating." He put his hands on Ezra's waist and leaned in to kiss Ezra's throat.

Ezra's head fell back to give him access as the gambler moaned softly.

Vin trailed kisses up Ezra's neck from the top of the collar to his ear lobe then gently caught the earlobe between his lips and nibbled on it a long moment, enjoying the breathy sighs that the action drew from Ezra.

After a moment he moved back and began to tug at the ends of the string tie Ezra wore. It came loose easily, and Vin smirked down at Ezra for a moment before wadding it up in his hand and tossing it towards the dresser so that he could begin unbuttoning Ezra's shirt.

As Vin unbuttoned the silk shirt he let his fingers delve under to touch and caress the warm skin there. He loved the feel of Ezra's skin. It was as smooth as the silk shirts that the gambler wore and warm... always warm.

Once the shirt was open all the way down the front and pulled from Ezra's pants he indulged himself in a few moments of kissing and caressing the exposed skin paying special attention to the tightly puckered nipples.

By the time he stepped back to carry the shirt over to the valet and hang it up, Ezra was swaying on his feet and Vin had to steady him for a moment before he could leave to hang up the shirt.

When he returned Ezra leaned into him immediately, sighing at the contact. Vin held him for just a minute before guiding him backwards to the edge of the bed, "Think ya need ta sit down," he said with a grin, "I gotta take yer boots off anyhow."

Ezra could only nod, watching Vin with heated eyes as the tracker knelt in front of him to remove his boots and socks.

Vin sat them beside the bed and stood, his own eyes darkening with desire as he looked at the gambler. He leaned over and kissed Ezra deeply, pushing him back on the bed. He broke the kiss and moved down Ezra's body placing small kisses and nips along the gambler's chest to his belly.

His fingers made quick work of the buttons on Ezra's pants. His voice was husky with arousal as he rose off the gambler to say, "Raise yer hips, baby."

Ezra obeyed, a small thrill going through him at the endearment that Vin had unconsciously used.

Vin slid the pants and underwear down Ezra's legs and off him. He stood for a moment just looking at the gambler, "God, Ez! Yer so beautiful." He stared at the other man, so entranced that he almost forgot he was holding the gambler's pants in his hands until he moved to reach out to touch his lover and saw them. He tossed them carelessly over a nearby chair and climbed on the bed with Ezra, pulling him up and around so that they lay full length on the bed, side-by-side, with Ezra completely naked and Vin still completely clothed.

As Vin pulled Ezra into his arms and shifted them around on the bed, Ezra rubbed himself against the tracker, moaning softly. His leg rubbed along Vin's. The buckskin pants were soft but had a slight nap to them that felt good against Ezra's sensitive skin.

His leg moved up and over the mare's leg still in its holster and he moaned aloud. It felt somehow wicked and sinful to be lying like this, naked and vulnerable beneath the dangerous and deadly bounty hunter. He trembled with excitement and hoped that Vin would take him without undressing. They'd never done it like this with Ezra completely naked and Vin not only dressed but armed.

As if he could sense the cause of Ezra's heighten excitement, Vin reached between them and began to unfasten his pants.

"Yes! Please! Oh, God! Vin! Take me... take me now... like this... please..." Ezra was almost incoherent with need.

His desire fed Vin's and the bounty hunter moved more quickly, freeing his cock and shifting to reach for the small tin of grease that he knew would be in the bedside table.

Vin prepared him quickly, then smeared grease on his own straining erection before placing the head at Ezra's entrance and slowly pushing his way in. 

Ezra shuddered as Vin slowly penetrated him. His eyes were open, but Vin wasn't sure what he was seeing. The gambler's hands clutched at Vin's shirt, knotting in the fabric. His legs wrapped around Vin's waist as he tried to pull Vin even deeper into him. His incoherent mumbling was like music to Vin.

He bucked up against Vin, matching the tracker's thrusts. His hands tore at Vin's shirt and Vin felt buttons give and pop off. Sweat beaded on his skin, leaving it slick and slippery under Vin's caresses.

The only understandable word in Ezra's chant was "Vin, Vin, Vin!" interspersed with whimpers and moans.

Seeing Ezra like this, reduced to a writhing, moaning mass of need and knowing that he was the one that Ezra needed, was all it took to push Vin over the edge. With a shout he froze, buried to the balls inside the gambler as his cum filled his lover.

Ezra cried his name one more time and climaxed almost in time with him, his cum spurting up over his chest.

Gasping he fell onto Ezra, then slowly tilted to the side, pulling Ezra with him, gathering the smaller man into his arms.

For several minutes they just lay there in silence with Vin holding Ezra close. Then Vin leaned over and kissed his tired lover gently and slowly released him.

Ezra's eyes opened.

"Ain't going nowhere... just gonna get my clothes off and clean ya up a bit. Ya just rest there." He leaned in to press a kiss to the gambler's forehead again before he moved off the bed. "I'll be right back, baby."

Ezra sighed contentedly and let his eyes drift closed again. He thought vaguely that he ought to hate that Vin called him 'baby' but he didn't. He liked it. It made him feel safe and secure.

Vin smiled down at him as he quickly removed his own clothes. He supposed he shouldn't have given into the desire to call Ezra 'baby' but it had come out so naturally and Ezra didn't seem to mind. Besides he had the undeniable urge to cuddle and protect Ezra... not that he thought that Ezra needed to be protected. He knew that Ezra could take care of himself, was probably just as deadly and dangerous as Vin was... it was just that he wanted to do it anyhow. 

When he had finished undressing he got a wet rag to clean Ezra up with. He sat on the side of the bed and lay a hand on Ezra's arm. "Turn over, Ez so's I can wash you off."

The gambler obeyed. Sleepy green eyes blinked up at Vin as the tracker carefully wiped away the remains of Ezra's cum from his chest and abdomen.

When he was done and had tossed the rag in the general direction of the washstand he leaned in and kissed Ezra again, feeling the gambler's smile against his lips as he did. Pulling back a bit, he asked, "Happy?"

"Very."

He lay down beside Ezra, pulling him into his arms, content to just cuddle and kiss for a while.

After a while, Ezra asked sleepily, "Are you staying?"

"Ya tryin' ta get rid'a me already?" Vin asked but the gentle, teasing tone belied the words. 

"Nevah! Ah could lay in your arms forevah, Mistah Tannah," Ezra avowed.

Vin felt him tense almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

"Ah'm sorry Vin, I didn't mean that Ah would try and hold on to you all the time. I know you need---"

"Shhhhh!" Vin leaned in placing a finger on Ezra's lips. "Ya just hush, now. Ah know what ya mean. Don't ya go apologizin' fer being happy and content in my arms. Makes me happy and proud ta know that ya feel that way...."

Ezra looked up at him, his face serious. "You do know that I don't want to change you... don't you? I love you the way you are. If you change, you won't be the man I fell in love with." 

"Ah know... and the same thin' goes fer you, Ez. Don't you go turning inta somebody I don't know. I love you. I love the gambler. I love the conman. I love the educated man with a quick mind and quick hands. I love your hair and I love your eyes and that flash of gold when ya grin. I love the sound of yer voice and of your laughter. I got me a feelin' I'm gonna be writin' volumes of poetry just fer you. Poems won't nobody else ever hear. I'll whisper them in your ear when I hold you in my arms at night. Special words for the most special person in my life."

"Oh, Vin!" Ezra burrowed deeper into Vin's arms, burying his face against Vin's chest.

Vin could feel the hot wetness of tears against his skin right over his heart. He bent his head and kissed the top of Ezra's head. "I love _you_ , Ez. Just like ya are. Don't want ya to change inta something else."

He held the gambler close as the silent tears turned into a deluge, stroking his back as he sobbed in Vin's arms. After a while the sobs tapered off and Ezra slowly regained his composure.

He still lay snuggled close as he whispered, "Thank you, Vin. Thank you! Nobody has ever wanted _me_ , least of all just as I am. I can't... I can't remember a time when I wasn't struggling to be what somebody else wanted me to be, trying to find a way to satisfy someone else so that they wouldn't cast me aside."

"Ezra, I will never cast you aside. Never. I promise you this. You have my word... as a Tanner."

Ezra's head came up off of Vin's chest. He looked up at the other man with eyes filled with wonder. "As a Tanner..." the whisper was barely audible. Tears welled in the green eyes again.

"You gave me your word as a Tanner. Oh, Vin!" Ezra's voice was choked with emotion. He knew that Vin would never break his word as a Tanner, being a Tanner meant too much to the tracker. Ezra swallowed hard. "Ah have nothing that means to me what your name means to you that I can swear by... but I promise you, that I will be faithful to you, for as long as I live." 

Vin smiled at him and reached out to caress the tear-stained face. "I don't need no oath from you, Ez.... Ya let me see ya without that poker face of yers. That tells me what I mean to you, that ya can be yerself with me." He leaned in to kiss the gambler tenderly. Lying back he pulled Ezra to him, so that the dark head rested on his chest.

Ezra snuggled in against him a smile playing on his lips. Somehow he knew that together, he and Vin could face anything. He wasn't foolish enough to think that there wouldn't be problems. There would always be problems. They both had pasts to contend with. The bounty on Vin's head wasn't going to just disappear. His mother would always be trying to drag him back into the life he'd known before he came to this town. Their job would continue to be dangerous and there would always be people who looked down on them but together... together they would face the past and the future... side by side.

He drifted off to sleep, lying contentedly in Vin's arms.

*******

Buck looked up from his breakfast at the sound of boots clattering down the stairs in the saloon, in time to see Ezra dancing down the stairs with Vin hard on his heels. He frowned. It was awful early for Ezra to be up... and awful late for Vin if the man had just gotten up... and it looked like Vin was chasing Ezra.

The gambler darted around the bar and out the back door with Vin still right behind him. Neither seemed to notice Buck and JD staring at them as they made their entrance and exit. 

Laughter drifted back through the door as it swung closed behind them.

Buck reached up and ran a hand over his mustache, thoughtfully. The last time that he had seen Vin the man had been sitting on the porch of the jail... The tracker had been freshly bathed and in clean clothes, making Buck wonder if he was off to see a lady... but he'd disappeared right after Ezra left... and now here he was coming down the stairs behind Ez.... From Ezra's room? If so then....

Buck grinned suddenly. "Well, now! That's more like it!" he muttered to himself.

"Huh?" JD looked at him in confusion. "What's going on, Buck?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, Kid." Buck grinned at him and attacked his breakfast with renewed gusto. So _that_ was why Chris had relieved him on patrol this morning instead of Vin. It was about time that the gambler and the tracker figured out that they were made for each other. It'd been obvious to Buck for a while that the two of them fit together like two halves of a whole.

He knew that Vin and Chris had become very close, but he had never even considered that the gunfighter might be able to give the tracker the love he needed. Chris just didn't look at men that way. He had his eye on the lovely Miz Travis. But Ezra... well Buck had suspected from the beginning that Ezra preferred men. He'd been all too comfortable in that dress when they'd needed the distraction for Wickestown... and putting him in that dress had been Vin's idea. Yep. They fit together just fine.

*******

Josiah looked up at the sound of laughter as he exited the church. Ezra was running towards the livery with Vin on his heels. Both were laughing.

Seeing Josiah the two men slowed to a walk and tried to suppress their laughter as they reached up to give him almost identical two fingered salutes.

He nodded solemnly at them then walked on towards the saloon and his breakfast.

Behind him the two younger men resumed their merry chase towards the livery.

Josiah shook his head, _Ah, to be young and in love._

He was happy for Ezra. The gambler had been so depressed lately. Now it seemed that he and Vin had found each other at last. He would have to make sure that the tracker knew that he would have to deal with him should Vin ever hurt 'his boy'. He grinned. Some days, being a dad it was worth all the trouble. It felt good to see his boy laughing and happy.

*******

Vin caught Ezra in the livery, pulling him into an empty stall and kissing him soundly.

"Hummmmmm," Ezra sighed with pleasure at the kiss. Then drawing back a bit he asked, "Are you sure Mister Larabee won't mind us riding out?"

"Been real quiet Ez, since the last robbery attempt anyhow," he grinned at his lover, "'Sides he said I could ride out fer a couple of days yesterday, so I don't see why he'd mind us taking a few days today." He kissed Ezra again. "I'll saddle the horses. Ya go see about getting us some grub."

They cuddled a few more minutes then pulled apart, Vin moving to saddle Peso and Ezra heading for the general store to see what he could find that he would like to take with them to eat.

*******

Gloria Potter looked up as the bell on the door chimed and smiled as she saw the dapper gambler step into the shop.

"Good morning, Mister Standish," she greeted him, noting the happy smile and lightness in his step. He was feeling better. She had been concerned over how depressed he'd seemed lately.

His soft drawl was filled with happiness as he responded, "Good morning, Missus Potter. How are you this fine day?"

"I'm very well. How may I help you today?"

"I shall be going out of town for a few days... with Mister Tanner. I shall need some supplies."

"Of course. What do you need?"

He sighed, "The usual, I suppose... hard tack and jerky. Some coffee and sugar. A tin of honey, if you have some. A can or two of peaches."

They both grinned when he said that, everyone knew how much Vin loved peaches.

"We have some fresh apples. Just in today from the Mitchell's orchard," she suggested, knowing that Mister Standish did not really like the usual trail food and that he loved fresh apples as did his badly spoiled horse. When he happily added a dozen apples to the growing pile of supplies, she smiled. No doubt his horse would get its share of those. 

Amy and Josh came running in and greeted the gambler. He spent several minutes talking with them, letting them know that he would be out of town for a few days and that the chores that they usually did for him would not be necessary for the duration.

When he turned back to the counter, Gloria said, "I made a blackberry pie last night. Let me get you and Vin a piece to take with you." She disappeared into the back of the store where her kitchen was and soon returned with not two, but four nice size slices of the pie wrapped in brown paper.

As she placed the supplies into a gunny sack, he looked over the hard candies on display on the counter, selecting a variety of them and laying them on the counter for her to put in a small sack for him.

As he gathered up his things she said, "I'll just put that on your account, Mister Standish." 

He nodded his thanks, said good day and departed. She looked after him for a long moment. She knew that the gambler generally preferred to remain in town unless he was going to visit another town but today he seemed more than happy to be riding out with Vin. She had often wondered at the friendship between the two very different men. Several months ago, Vin had started having her put items on Mister Standish's account, mostly just candy that he gave to the local children but occasionally other items as well. The first time Mister Standish had asked where the extra items had come from. When told that Mister Tanner had put them on the account he had simply nodded and paid the charges. Nothing more had ever been said about it.

She stood for a moment gazing after the departing gambler. He certainly did seem happy today... almost like a man in love.

*******

They met Chris on the road as they were riding out, and he gave his consent for them to take a couple of days off and just spend it together. He knew after all that in the first flush of discovering their love for each other they wouldn't be much good for anything anyhow.

Now as the sun sank low in the west they were setting up camp in a secluded spot beside the river. Vin had led Ezra up the riverbed to the site. It was unreachable from any other direction and the splashing of anyone coming up through the water would giving them plenty of warning.

They had their supper and banked the fire for the night. Making a single bed from their bedrolls, they stripped and lay down together.

For a long while they just kissed and cuddled, gently stroking and caressing each other.

Then Vin rose on one elbow to look down into Ezra's eyes, "Ez?" He waited for Ezra to look up at him before continuing, "I want you to make love to me... take me, tonight."

Ezra smiled up at him as he reached up to run a hand through Vin's long tresses. "You don't have to do that, Vin. I love having you take me."

"I want to do it. I want to know how good it can be. I been took before but I never liked it. Men I's with... they didn't care 'bout me... didn't try an' make it good for me. I know you won't hurt me... any more'n I'd ever hurt you. I know that with you... it'll be good. Please, Ez."

Ezra smiled again, "You do know that I cannot refuse you anything, don't you?"

Vin grinned down at him. "Reckon that makes two of us. I can't say no ta ya either."

Ezra laughed and rolled them over so that he was on top. "In that case, my love, prepare to be ravished!"

He looked down into the love filled blue eyes of his tracker and let his hands slip through the long dark waves of Vin's hair. "Ah love your hair, Mistah Tannah... love running my fingers through it. Promise me you will never cut it off."

Vin's eyes closed in pleasure as Ezra continued to finger comb his hair, "Ah promise, Ez. I love it when ya do what yer doin' now. Feels so good."

Ezra smiled down at him and said softly, "I'm going to make you feel even better, my love." 

He bent his head and began to plant soft gentle kisses across the tracker's forehead. He slid slowly downward. His lips trailing lightly across Vin's eyes and cheekbones to his jaw then followed the line up to his ear lobe and nipped it lightly. The soft tips of his fingers followed the same path on the other side of Vin's face.

Vin moaned in pleasure and Ezra chuckled softly, his breath tickling Vin's ear. Then he was slowly trailing his tongue down Vin's throat on that side while his fingertips mirrored the action on the other side of Vin's throat. He licked and nipped his way along Vin's collarbone, letting the fingers of his left hand slide farther down to glide in a feather light touch across the nipple on that side before he slid on down to nip at the other one with his teeth. 

Vin was moaning loudly, arching up into the light touch.

Ezra chuckled as Vin's hands tangled in his hair, pulling and pushing at the same time. Uncertain if he wanted to pull Ezra closer to get more of the ghost like caresses or push him away to stop the sweet torment.

Ezra slid lower, licking, kissing, nipping at the tracker's belly. His tongue darted out and plunged into the dimple of Vin's navel and the tracker arched up crying out loudly. "Ezra!"

He lifted his head and smirked at the writhing man, "Yes, love?"

Panting, Vin let his body slump back down on the blanket, "Yer wicked. Ya know that, don't ya?"

Ezra's grin was his only answer, but the gambler let him catch his breath before returning to his slow sweet torturing. He skipped over Vin's straining cock and pushed the tracker's thighs apart so that he could lick the insides of them. Trailing his tongue down one he bit just above the knee, sucking the skin hard, marking his lover.

After a long moment of sucking on it he pulled back to regard it proudly then gave it a soothing lick. "Mine," he murmured, "all mine." His green eyes were almost completely dilated with arousal, only a thin rim of emerald remained. He would have liked to continue the slow torture, but he was becoming too aroused himself. His cock was full and hard, pulled tight up against his belly.

Vin's cock was the same and leaking precum onto his stomach as he twitched and writhed in pleasure.

Ezra moved away enough to grab the tin of oil that they had lain near the fire to warm before they had laid down. Opening it, he dipped his fingers into the warm oil and moved back to raise Vin's legs up to his shoulders. He let his fingers glide up and down the crease between Vin's buttocks, gently stroking the puckered opening but not attempting to enter it yet.

Vin moaned his approval and Ezra dipped his fingers back in the oil. This time he circled the opening then gently slid one well-oiled finger inside, slowly rotating it.

Vin's sigh told him that all was well and he added a second finger, gently beginning to scissor them inside, slowly stretching the tight ring out. When he felt Vin relax, he gently added a third finger and pressed up inside feeling for the small gland that he knew was there. 

He found it and stroked it gently. Vin's eyes opened wide in surprise as the jolt of pleasure went through him. His body jerked uncontrollably, and he cried out, "Oh, God!"

Ezra moved his fingers away for a second letting Vin relax before stoking the gland again. He waited patiently as his lover trembled and shook with pleasure. He chuckled softly. "You did not know that was there, did you?"

"N-no... wh-what is it?"

"That, my love, is the source of anal pleasure. It is a gland that every man has. It's what you rub your cock across inside me that makes me love having you take me so very much... and I assure you that I will make certain that you know that feeling." He shifted, slipping his fingers out of Vin and placing the head of his cock against Vin's entrance. "Relax, beloved. I won't hurt you."

He leaned forwards and kissed Vin tenderly as he slowly but firmly slid his cock deep inside his lover. Once fully seated he stopped, holding still, allowing Vin to adjust to the feeling of having him inside.

Only when he felt Vin relax did he slowly withdraw and begin to stroke, making certain that he bumped against the gland with each gentle stroke.

Soon Vin was humping up to meet him and begging him to go faster and harder.

Neither of them could last much longer. Ezra cried out, stiffening as he filled Vin with his cum and almost instantly Vin screamed Ezra's name and shot his load across his belly.

Ezra collapsed on top him then rolled to the side, gathering Vin up in his arms as Vin had so often done him. "Oh, Lord, Vin! That was incredible!"

Vin's arms tightened around him. "Yeah." He lay against Ezra breathing heavily for a while before adding, "I knew it's be wonderful with you. I love ya, Ez." His voice trailed off as he drifted into sleep.

Ezra smiled down at him then gently laid him aside and got up to get a cloth to clean them up.

When he was done he covered them both with a blanket and snuggled down against his lover to rest. He wouldn't sleep... not until Vin awoke.

*******

Vin was awake well before daylight. He looked up into Ezra's smiling face, "You didn't sleep, did you?"

"Someone had to keep watch, Love," Ezra said softly, "besides you know I can't go to sleep early."

"Well, you can sleep now. I'll be up and watching." Vin leaned over and kissed him, "...and Ez, I like that."

"Like what?"

"Ya callin' me, 'Love'."

Ezra smiled at him. "I have no idea why I started doing that. It just felt right." He blushed slightly, "I like it when you call me 'Baby', too," he admitted.

"Good cause I like callin' ya, Baby," Vin said and leaned in to get another kiss. "Now go to sleep."

He waited a few minutes until he heard Ezra's breathing even out then got up. He stirred up the fire and added some wood to it then went down to the river to bathe.

It was barely noon when Ezra began to stir. Vin noted that Ezra really hadn't slept that long, only about six hours. The others just thought Ezra was lazy because his sleep cycle wasn't the same as theirs. He kept a different schedule than them.

Thinking about it Vin realized that the difference in their schedules could be put to good use, if they planned for it. He'd speak to Chris about it when he got back. It wasn't fair to expect Ezra to take dawn patrol when he had been up all night at the tables. Ezra never minded leaving a game to go on midnight patrol and he was at his best in the late night hours. It seemed foolish to demand that the gambler go against his natural sleep pattern when they could just as easily make use of it.

They ate lunch and broke camp. "We aren't far from Willow Creek," he commented as they rode out. "Wanna stop by there. We could do a bit of shopping and spend the night at the hotel."

Ezra grinned, "I'd love to."

They rode into Willow Creek at mid-afternoon and after checking into the hotel, went down to the mercantile. They strolled through the store, looking at various items. They spent a long time at the soap and toiletries display, smelling the various ones and passing them back and forth between them. They finally settled on a couple of different scents. One smelled like oranges, the other like magnolias. Ezra's eyes had gotten a faraway look in them when he smelled it and he'd mentioned sitting in the swing on his grandmother's front porch, the scent of magnolia blossoms heavy in the breeze. Vin had to get it, if only for the smile that crossed Ezra's face at the memories it stirred. Ezra also bought aftershave, cologne and a bar of shampoo soap.

He stopped at the stacks of ready-made shirts, his eye caught by a deep blue one, much darker than Vin's eyes. Vin smiled and nodded when Ezra asked if Vin liked it. It joined the other items they had chosen.

Vin fingered an emerald green one and looked askance at Ezra knowing that he seldom wore anything but white shirts. Ezra smiled and nodded. It joined the other shirt.

A delighted smile crossed Ezra's face as he saw a pale green waistcoat, shot through with silver threads. He added it to the growing pile. They continued to look around but finally decided that they could get anything else they needed at Mrs. Potter's in Four Corners. 

As they placed the items on the counter Ezra saw a stack of books and asked if they were for sale. Assured they were he went through the stack, glancing through each book to see what it was about and discussing them with Vin. He finally settled on two, a travel journal about Egypt and a book of poetry.

They paid for their purchases and headed back to the hotel. For once Ezra had no interest in playing poker. He and Vin cuddled on the bed for a long time, as he read to the tracker from the books they had bought. They made love again then Vin drifted off to sleep while Ezra sat propped up in bed and read. Again Vin awoke well before dawn and they cuddled some more before Ezra curled up and went to sleep, his head resting on Vin's shoulder. At daylight Vin slipped from the bed, careful not to wake his lover and went down to get some breakfast, making sure the door was locked behind him.

He strolled around town then got their horses and saddled them, bringing them from the livery to tie them in front of the hotel. Ezra was up shortly thereafter, and they ate lunch together in the hotel dining room.

After lunch they headed back out. They camped that night where they had the first night and rode back into Four Corners the next day.

*******

The next several weeks went by quickly and peacefully. Vin spoke to Chris about arranging the patrol schedule to take advantage of his penchant for being up at the crack of dawn and Ezra's habit of staying awake late into the night.

Chris agreed. He'd already begun scheduling Ezra for the midnight watch having come to the same conclusion that Vin had. It was better to use the gambler's natural tendencies than to fight them. All trying to make Ezra take dawn patrol did was cause conflict. Ezra was invariably late and whoever he was to relieve was invariably annoyed by it.

With Vin taking the dawn patrol and Ezra taking the midnight one that left the afternoon and evening shifts to be divided between the other five peacekeepers.

Chris was well satisfied with the arrangement. The town was well looked after. There were fewer conflicts among the seven and Vin and Ezra were extremely happy with the arrangement as it also meant that they got to spend a certain amount of time together every day, without anyone commenting on it. It had long been common for Vin to come off patrol at noon, eat lunch then vanish for a couple of hours.

No one paid any attention to it anymore, just assuming that he was hiding out, taking an afternoon siesta. Only Chris, Josiah and Buck were aware that now, he was sharing a midday tryst with his very male lover.

Ezra Standish was a happy man. He got to play poker up until midnight. He now made a point of not being late for his shift and was much more alert and on guard than if he was forced to take the dawn patrol. He really wasn't losing that much money by cutting his poker games off at midnight and he felt the benefits far out-weighted the monetary losses. Not only was he able to maintain a significant relationship with Vin but the other peacekeepers seemed to accept him more and consider him more trustworthy.

He sat in the rocking chair beside his window, waiting for Vin to ride in from patrol. He had taken to awakening around a quarter to twelve every day, knowing that Vin would be there soon. He hadn't bothered to dress; he'd take his daily bath after Vin paid his daily visit. He watched the street through the lacy curtains that gave him privacy without blocking his view. He'd tied back the heavy over curtain on one side so that he could watch the street unseen. 

Vin would stop at the livery to stable Peso, then come to the saloon for lunch. He'd step out the back door after, heading for the privy. When he returned he'd come up the back steps instead of returning to the saloon proper. A moment later he would be in Ezra's room and the two of them would, for a couple of hours, be lost in their own little world.

Ezra smiled at the thought. It was starting to rain. Vin always stayed later on rainy days. There were fewer people about, fewer people to wonder where the tracker was... or why the gambler was sleeping late. He had found himself growing very fond of storm clouds lately.

He moved from the rocker to start a fire in the stove, the rain would bring a chill to the air and Vin would be wet when he came in. He laid a couple of his favorite fluffy towels nearby. Perhaps he'd have Josh go ahead on and bring his bath water up. He tossed on a house robe over his underwear, tied it securely and padded down the back stairs and stuck his head through the door to the kitchen.

He smiled at Inez, "Miss Rocillos, would you be a dear and send Jose to tell Josh that I would like my bath now."

She gave a quick, "Si, Senor," and immediately yelled something in Spanish to the young Mexican boy that helped her in the kitchen when she was busy and turned back to call to him, "It is done!" before sweeping back out into the saloon, her hands full with a tray of plates.

Josh wouldn't get very wet, just crossing from the Mercantile to the saloon and he could pump the water from the saloon kitchen's pump and heat it on the big stove there. Most of Inez's cooking was already done, the big pots of beans, rice and browned meat for her Mexican dishes already cooked and sitting in big pots on the cooler side of the stove to stay hot.

By the time Vin came in, had his lunch and got upstairs the tub of hot water would be waiting for him.

An hour later he was standing at the window, frowning down at the street, starting to worry about his lover. It was almost one o'clock and Vin had yet to appear. The rain had quickly turned from a drizzle into a torrent and the temperature had dropped rapidly along with it. Even if nothing had happened to Vin, he would be soaked through and chilled by now... if he hadn't holed up somewhere to wait out the storm.

_No. He'd want to get here. He knows how much I've grown to love the rainy days when we can laze a bed together longer than usual,_ Ezra fretted silently. He did love these times together, but he would rather that Vin holed up out of the rain than have Vin risk pneumonia to get home to him.

A moment later he shook his head. Vin was coming down the street, leading Peso. The horse was limping. That meant that Vin would stay at the livery to tend the horse instead of coming straight to the saloon. Without another thought he quickly dipped a bucket of the bath water out of the tub and sat it on the stove to keep hot, so that he would have it to heat the water back up with when Vin made it up to the room.

Quickly throwing on the pants and shirt he had worn the day before, he pulled on his boots and grabbed his slicker. Moments later he was down the back stairs and out the door on his way to the livery.

Vin was pulling the saddle off of Peso as Ezra ducked in the livery through the side door. Pulling his slicker off and tossing it over a nearby stall door he said, "What happened to him?"

"Stone bruise," Vin said, looking up to smile at Ezra.

Ezra entered the stall, giving the big black a quick caress on the way to Vin's side. "You're soaked to the skin," he chided his lover. "I'll take care of Peso. You go on up to my room. Josh just brought my bath water up. You need a hot bath more than I do."

Vin moved closer, smiling, "We could share," he said softly.

Ezra grinned, "My thoughts exactly... but you head on up. Stop by your wagon and grab a change of clothes. The room's warm. I'll be there as soon as I get Peso settled."

"'kay." Vin started out then, looking around to make sure that no one was there he pulled Ezra close, "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

"Not today." Ezra leaned close, barely brushing his lips across Vin's. "Go on now... before you catch pneumonia and we have to deal with Nathan!"

Vin chuckled and headed out leaving Peso in the capable hands of his lover. He grinned at he ducked out of the livery and trotted through the rain towards the alley next to the saloon where his wagon was parked. It felt good to be fussed over by Ezra. In fact he was looking forward to Ezra doing quite a bit of fussing over him this afternoon.

He grabbed a change of clothes out of the wagon and his slicker just in case he had to go back out in the rain and ducked in the back door of the saloon.

Inez saw him and called, "Are you going to eat, Senor Vin?"

"Yeah I guess," he answered back then heard Chris call him from the barroom.

"Vin! That you?"

He stepped to the door of the barroom and nodded to Chris. "Yeah, cowboy."

"Saw you walking Peso in. He all right?"

"He will be, just a stone bruise. Ez is tending him for me."

Nathan frowned, wondering why Ezra would be taking care of Vin's horse... and why Vin would let him as tetchy as he was about who messed with the cantankerous animal. Deciding to ignore the question he said, "You better get outta them wet things, fore you get pneumonia."

"Damn," Vin grinned shaking his head, "Ez must be spending too much time with you, Nate. He done told me that." He held up his bundle of clothes. "Gonna change in Ez's room. He said that the Potter boy had just brung his bath up but when he seen me towing Peso home he figured I needed it worse'n he did."

Buck grinned, "Weather like this makes a man appreciate a tub a'hot water... and a friend good enough to offer it."

Nathan frowned again. There was something in the way Buck was grinning that made him think that there was more to this than just a friendly gesture on Ezra's part... but what else could it be?

Vin headed up the stairs to Ezra's room without saying any more.

It was a good ten minutes later that Ezra dashed up the steps to the saloon porch and pulled his slicker over his head shaking it out on the porch before he came in. He hung it over a chair, close enough to the stove in the barroom for it to dry but not too close and asked of no one in particular, "Did Mister Tanner, go up to my room?"

"Yeah," Buck replied, grinning, "Reckon he's already in that tub a'your'n by now."

"Did he take anything to eat up?"

Inez heard that question and answered, "No, Senor. I am fixing him a tray."

Ezra followed her back to the kitchen. "I've not eaten yet either. You may as well fix two plates. I'll take it up." He returned to the barroom and grabbed a bottle of brandy from his private stock. Ducking back into the kitchen he called, "Inez? How many bottles of brandy are in the storeroom? This is the last one out here."

She pushed through the beaded curtain between the barroom and the kitchen carrying a loaded tray.

As Ezra deposited the bottle and two glasses on the tray and took it from her, she said, "There is a half a case left in the storeroom."

He sighed, "Humm. How long until the freight wagons stop coming through?"

"This is September. We have at least another month and a half before the weather is too bad for them to get through... but yes, we need to start thinking about stocking up for the winter."

"Go ahead and put... two cases... and a case of Kentucky Bourbon on your next order. Private Stock."

"Of course, Senor Standish." Inez smiled at him. He might not own the Standish Tavern at the moment, but he still acted as if he did, sometimes. She had started back through to the kitchen but turned back. "Oh, unless there, is a mistake on the books, someone has pilfered two bottles of Red Eye."

"I audited the books last Monday. The accounts were correct then. We've only had one shipment since... Have you accounted for breakage?"

"Si... and we are still two bottles short."

"I'll see to it."

"Gracias, Senor." She made a shooing motion, "Now, go. Get that up to Senor Tanner before it is cold."

Ezra gladly obeyed. He wasn't foolish enough to open the door without letting Vin know he was there. "Mister Tanner," he called, giving the door a light kick with his foot, "room service." 

Vin recognized his voice but reached out and picked up his mare's leg before calling back, "come ahead."

Ezra pushed the door open and carried the heavily laden tray into the room, depositing it on his dresser. Pulling the smaller table from his bedside to a spot close to the bathtub, he transferred the tray to it. He moved a chair close to the table and sat down. "I do believe that Miss Rocillos thinks that you need fattening up. It appears that she has given us enough food for several meals."

"Maybe she just reckons we might not wanna surface fer a while."

"Why Mister Tanner, why ever would she think that." He smiled leaning over the side of the tub to steal a kiss. He let his hand dip into the water and trail across Vin's belly.

Vin grinned at him.

Ezra chuckled, "You do seem to be warming up nicely."

Vin smiled. "Ya keep doing that an' Miss Inez' good food's gonna get cold long fore we eat any of it."

"Then I suppose I'll just have to behave... until after we eat."

"Don't behave too, much... I like it when yer a bad boy," Vin said with a smirk.

*******

A little over an hour later Nathan stirred in his seat, "Maybe I oughta go up and check on Vin. He's been up there a while. Might be he's feeling poorly."

"If Vin needed ya, Ezra'd a'done been down here to fetch ya, Nate," Buck said with that same grin he'd flashed before.

"But he's been up there better'n an hour," Nathan protested.

Josiah chuckled, "...and he'll probably be up there a couple of hours more, Brother."

"What?" Nathan scowled at Josiah.

"Let it alone, Nathan," Larabee said quietly. "Ain't nothing wrong with Vin. He'll be down when he's ready to come down."

Nathan sat back in his chair, "Are ya'll sayin' what I think yer sayin'?"

"Well, Nate let's just say that Ezra is probably takin' real good care of Vin and leave it at that," Buck said, still grinning broadly.

"Y'all are saying what I thought y'all was."

Josiah shrugged, "To each his own, Brother Nate... to each his own."

"But..."

"No buts, Nathan. They're happy. They do their jobs and even you have to admit that Ezra's been a lot easier to live with these past weeks."

"How long?"

"A while, Brother... but they only got serious recent like."

"River Bend... I was right. Something happened between them in River Bend."

JD had been listening to the conversation in puzzled silence, "What are you guys talking about? What's going on between Vin and Ezra?"

Buck laughed. "You're too young to know, Kid."

"I ain't a kid, Buck. I'm old enough to be sheriff. I'm old enough to have killed men and been shot. I reckon I'm old enough to know what you're talking about."

"It's all yours Buck," Chris said, smirking at his oldest friend.

Buck looked to Josiah, "You'd be better to explain this than me."

"Sorry, Brother Buck. He asked you." Josiah grinned and leaned back in his chair.

Buck looked at Nathan.

"Don't look at me. I just found out myself," the black healer said.

After a long moment, Buck took a deep breath, "Well, kid... ya know what I told ya about men and women... well some a' it applies to men and men. Usually it happens out on the trail or anywhere that there ain't no women... or not enough women to go round. A man'll get lonely, get tired of being best friends with his hand, if ya know what I mean..."

"I know what that means, Buck," JD snapped.

"Okay, well. Maybe he's got a friend, a real good friend and this friend... he's lonely too... so...."

"Oh... Vin and Ezra are having relations," JD said.

"Well, uh... yeah but I kinda think that it's more'n just that... they got some real deep feelings for each other," Buck plunged on.

"What he's saying, Brother Dunne, is that you shouldn't get any hopes up of ever being invited a wedding where either of our absent brothers is the groom... not unless something drastic happens."

JD fiddled with his glass, "You... none of you have a problem with it?"

Buck grinned, "I'm happy for them. Life's hard on a man that prefers other men... and I think they do... did... even before they found each other. You do know that you can't go mouthing off about this to just anyone... don'tcha? Lotta people'd wanna run them outta town... maybe worse, if they knowed."

JD frowned, "But why? I mean if it happens fairly often...."

"It's illegal, JD," Chris said quietly, "If it becomes public knowledge, they could be arrested." 

"Yeah," Nathan put in quietly, remembering the incident that brought the seven together. 

"If the so called _decent_ citizens get wind of it... they might even be lynched," chris continued in a hard voice.

"Because they care for each other?"

"Yes, JD. Because they care for each other," Josiah confirmed.

"You... I mean we... wouldn't let that happen would we? I mean they're both one of us... they're two of the seven."

"No, JD. We wouldn't let that happen," Chris said quietly.

Josiah nodded, lifting his glass, "Seven men. One destiny."

JD grinned and lifted his glass as well, "One for all..."

"All for one..." Buck finished, lifting his glass.

Nathan raised his glass, "For today and tomorrow..."

"Unto forever," Chris finished.

Five men touched their glasses together in a solemn pledge and tossed their whiskey back.

They would keep their brothers secret, quietly and unobtrusively guarding them from prying eyes and gossiping voices.

The End


End file.
